Another Comcast Mess

I must love pain. I went back to using dreaded Comcast cable again. Of course they are living up to their reputation of failures. It is as if they are only in business to make money without servicing their customers. Here is the latest saga. I called to have my cable repaired. I have no picture. A man came out looked at the job and said, I only do trouble calls this job requires install. I don’t do install. I asked him if he knew how to do install. He said yes but he only handles trouble calls. I said this is trouble. He respond no it’s install. I gave up and asked him to call and get an install man. He did and reported some one will be here tomorrow, July 30, 2008. Between 4 and 7. No one came. I called to see what happen they told me the technician went home. When I asked to reschedule I was told Friday August 1 was the earliest they could reschedule a repairman. If they show up that will make three days with no cable TV

My Favorite Hang Out

Today I ate lunch at the City Café. The “City” is certainly my favorite hang out. It’s a place were everyone knows my name and the food is good. The atmosphere is amazing. You never know who you will be sitting next to. Today Senator Sarbanes was at the table next to mine. The mix of customers range from Peabody, Hopkins, School for the Arts and MICA students to politicians to Artist and us ordinary folks. All are treated the same, with the same pleasant helpful service. The Art on the wall is always interesting as are the menu items. There is always something new or surprising on the menu. Today the Executive Chef brought me my fried oysters. I was like “oh wow the executive chef!”” By the way the oysters were delicious.

Three Quaters of a Century

Today is my 75th Birthday. I began my celebrating by working out at the gym with my Personal trainer. During the work out I wondered if this was a good way to celebrate. Jeff said “Of course it is. What better way celebrate life than improving your quality life through exercises?” He is right.
After the gym I went to help Linda at her studio at the Bromo Seltzer Tower. The
Tower was having open house. Linda than took me to dinner at Fogo de Chao. Fogo de Chao is one of my favorite places to eat. Later she fed me ice ream and cake. I was one happy fellow.

Cape Cod-Linda

Cape Cod-Me

Cape Cod

Cape Cod

Cape Cod

Health, ArtScape,, Joyce Scott, and The Right Path

Feeling Good

I feel great! This morning my vital signs were almost perfect for my age and ailments. My vital signs are monitored daily by Nurse Beverly. Nurse Beverly is a nurse with the VA home monitoring system. The VA, created the system for at risk patients. It is great for the patient and VA. For the patient, it helps to keep improve our quality of life. For the VA it lower cost by detecting danger before costly hospitalization. It is all done through a special small computer in my home. The computer is directly hooked up to the VA. The computer takes my weight, blood pressure, lung capacity, oxygen saturation, and glucose levels and sends it to the VA.

ArtScape

All I spoke to enjoyed Artscape. One friend took her kids and spent the day there. Linda went every day and of course brought stuff.

Joyce Scott

My friend Joyce Scott is a wonderful loving person. Her E-mail to me when I was sick made me tear up. She is sweet.

Right Path

All my life, especially during war, I have been shown the correct/right path. In my youth I often ignored the right path. I more often chose the easy or fun one. As I matured and began to truly explore life I have more often chosen the right path. It has always led to joy and most important it has given joys to others. The tricky thing is that the right path is not always the obvious one. It is often hiding behind ego, selfishness, prejudices, cravings and a false view of our history.

The Power of the Internet

Yesterday I received a call. The caller said he was from Comcast Central. He said, I read your Internet entry about Comcast. I am terribly sorry that you are having trouble with Comcast and that you have been without service for so long. A technician will be out to your home tomorrow between 10 and two. Shortly the phone rang again. It was another Comcast official from a more regional office. The caller apologized for my difficulties and assured me a team would be out tomorrow. Shortly a third call from a more local Comcast office. He apologized for Comcast’s poor response and promised a team would be out tomorrow between10 to two. Ok, great, but I was still doubtful. But low and behold at 10:24 hours today the technicians arrived and got right to work. They were two nice men who worked efficiently and smoothly. After they connected the cable to the house the technicians came inside to adjust my cable box. When they walked in they said, I heard you have been without cable for a long time and that you had to go to the Internet to get someone out? When they completed the work they thought it would be nice if I reported on the Internet that they had come out and I was back in service. The technician’s work was great. I have never had such a gorgeous picture.

Wow! The Internet did it. What power! I had no Idea my blog could have that kind of effect. The Internet helps restore some power to the individual. It’s like the sixties expression “Power to the People.”

Fishing

I want to go fishing. I have fallen in love with it. Does anyone know where I should fish. Someplace near he City would be great.

Comcast Fails Again

Today, for the 5th time Comcast promised to come out. True to form, they never showed up. Yesterday I called Verizon and today I am online with them. They will install TV service on Monday. I have no intention of telling Comcast. I will just cancel them when my Verizon TV is on. If history is right Comcast will not be here until till Tuesday at the latest. That would make 9 days without service. Oh yeah they have me listed as a medical priority. Lot good that does.

ARTSCAPE opens this weekend. Have fun. I used to love going. It is the best people watching venue in the city. Linda say no ARTSCAPE for me. She claims the air quality and heat will put me in hospital. , She is right but I still hate not going. What do you think I should do? Stay home and sulk or sneak out. Maybe I should just stay and do something productive, creative or read a good book?

Saw my Cardiologist today. He said I was back to base line and my EKG looked well. He gave me permission to restart my gym program. I went to the Gym today and my trainer put me through an hour of a light work out. He said in two more session I will be back at the levels before my vacation.

Feel Good and Storm

Sometime in the late hours of July 13 we had a tremendous storm. Lighting struck my 90-year-old back yard tree and dislodged a large branch. The branch must weigh at least 2000 lbs. It took out my power, cable, both phone lines and blocked all access to the alley. Since I am listed as a medical priority BG&E came right away and restored power in about two hours. My in home oxygen is powered by electricity. In an emergency I have a large oxygen tank, which will supply oxygen for 4 hours. Which is enough time for BG&E to get the power on. The city came promptly and cleared the alley giving access to repair crews. Yesterday Verizon managed to get one phone line and the second one on today. Today I am still without cable, (no internet). Comcast promised to get to me today. However, Comcast has not kept any of their promises. I have no real hope they will come. Comcast has failed to make three previous appointments. There service is the pits. Consumer Reports list them as being close to the bottom of the list in service, response and Internet speed. When you call its is almost impossible to get through to a person. When you do reach an agent they are in Canada or some other place no way near you. There telephone service has been malfunctioning for three day now. There does not seem any effort to fix it.

I saw Dr. Purcell on the 11th. Her said my lungs sounded clear, swelling in limbs as abated and my vital signs looked good. She said I was recovering very well and just continue the antibiotics and steroid till there gone. No need to come back unless there is a change in symptoms. Just keep my regular scheduled appointments.

Jedi Master Obi-Wan Leslie

Yesterday, Jedi Master, Obi-Wan Leslie King–Hammond, schooled me in the use of the force. I was attending the lecture/panel discussion at he R. Lewis Museum. Suddenly I broke out in a cold sweat, began to tremble, and became short of breath and barely able to speak. I asked Obi-wan Leslie, who was seating next to me, to help me down stairs. When we got downstairs and settled. Leslie reminded my hard head that I was not using the force. As my Buddhist priest says I was not flowing with the river of the Universe/Life. Further, as a result of my efforts to fight against the flow I had lost by Buddha, lost my way. I had lost the force. Leslie made me remember the importance of focusing on the love of family, friend’s and peers. She said I should, let go of what you cannot change and flow with that which you can. Leslie, like my, priest said I must flow with the current and not trying to speed it up, slow it down or alter it.

One of the most important things Leslie said, was its OK if I do not want to die in a hospital. Leslie, like Linda, believes I have the right to determine where I die. So I am staying home, Heart failure be-dammed.

Now the good news is I am feeling much better. Head-ache gone, extreme shortness of breath gone, swelling of legs, belly, feet and hands is greatly reduced. Doctor Purcell’s medication and Leslie’s talk has helped. Thank you Leslie.

I also thank my son’s Carl’s effort to find a real estate solution for my sister and her husband Harry.

Back in Baltimore, Sick Again and Panel Discussion

We are back home In Baltimore. We arrived on the 10th. Before we left Cape Cod on July 8 I began to get sick again. Today, July 11, I saw my Doctor. She wanted to put me in the hospital. She showed me my lung x-rays and explained how awful my lungs looked. The right lobe was shrunken and misshaped. The lower portion was opaque. I refused hospitalization She made me make a formal statement of refusal and asked Linda to be a witness.

After she resigned herself that I was not going to the hospital she gave me some antibiotics and instructions to care for my lungs and told me to come back on Monday.

We had a great time in New England. The visit with my brother, Sidney in Connecticut was just wonderful. Linda and I were so happy to spend time with my dear sweet sister, Barbara and her brilliant and kind husband Harry Elam.

Today, July 12, 1400 hrs, at the Reginald F. Lewis Linda will give a talk and serve on a panel. The Panel discussion will be with artists and scholars in conjunction with the exhibition A People’s Geography: The Spaces of African American Life. The panel features:
Jason Miccolo Johnson
Photographer and Author of Soul Sanctuary: Images of the
African American Worship Experience

Deborah Willis, Ph.D.
Photographer and Professor, New York University

Stephen Marc
Photographer and Professor, Arizona State University

Linda Day Clark
Photographer and Professor, Coppin State University

Suzette Spencer, Ph.D.
Professor of Afro-American Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison

P.S. I love fishing. I am going to do much more of it.

Sun is Shinning, Tet and It is Warm

This our last day on the Cape is beautiful. There is a clear blue sky and plenty of warm sun. Linda is taking her morning walk on the beach. I hope to go swimming later toady. Last night Linda made me go to the movies to avoid the fire works. I freak out and have flash backs during fire works. I have flash backs because the Tet attack was conducted under he cover of the New Year fire works. You may recall the Tet attack by the Viet Cong/North Vietnamese was a countrywide devastating, bloody attack. Both sides lost thousand of men. My unit was under attack the entire night and following morning. My small unit survived but our parent unit did not. Any way we saw Will Smiths new movie "Hancock", it was enjoyable. I liked it. shinning

Dr. Browns office called to check on me and asked me to come in as soon as got back. I am feeling much better and my fever is gone. I am breathing much better and I feel stronger.

Feeling Better and Fishing

Dinner with Sidney, Barbara, Harry, Linda and I was great. My sweet sister Barbara was her old self. She was completely lucid during the entire visit.

We went fishing again. We caught some six fish. All pan size. I lost one in the reeds. Landed 5. Linda caught and landed one. It was her only cast and she got a bite immediately. It was great fun. I would have kept the fish and had them for supper. But Linda kept saying, “It’s ok little fish we are so sorry we hurt you.” So we threw them all back and they swam away. Tomorrow is our last day here on the Cape. Contrary to forecast the sun is out and it is warm.
I am feeling much better. Thanks to the steroids. I had a temp. of 100.4 when I woke up. But it has since fallen to 99.

Cold, Damp and Lung Infection

Today is July 5 and it is cold. It’s 60 degrees, damp with the promise of rain that will continue for the rest of our time here. I have managed to get a bad lung infection. I am being treated with antibiotics. My lung capacity has dropped from 420 liters per minute to 300 per minute. Translation: I can hardly breathe. I am feeling sick and weak. Linda and I had planned to drive to Boston tomorrow to visit Judy who is like a daughter to me. We also planed to visit museums, galleries and do other tourist stuff. I am going to try and go. Linda asked me to begin the regime of steroids the doctor gave me. They increase my lung capacity by reducing lung inflammation and thus ease my breathing problem. I hate them and have refused them until today. I realized that I would make life easier for all by taking them. So I did.

It is Cold and I am Ill

Today is July 5 and it is cold. It’s 60 degrees, damp with the promise of rain that will continue for the rest of our time here. I have managed to get a bad lung infection. I am being treated with antibiotics. My lung capacity has dropped from 420 liters per minute to 300 per minute. Translation: I can hardly breathe. I am feeling sick and weak. Linda and I had planned to drive to Boston tomorrow to visit Judy who is like a daughter to me. We also planed to visit museums, galleries and do other tourist stuff. I am going to try and go. Linda asked me to begin the regime of steroids the doctor gave me. They increase my lung capacity by reducing lung inflammation and thus ease my breathing problem. I hate them and have refused them until today. I realized that I would make life easier for all by taking them. So I did.

Driving the Cape and P-town

Wednesday the 2nd of June we drove up the Cape to Provincetown. P-town is at the very tip of the Cape. If you go any further you will be swimming. We took only the back roads thru all the towns and avoided any highways. It was a delightful trip. We stopped at beaches and stopped for me to go fishing. Didn’t catch anything but it was fun. We ate in interesting local establishments like the little restaurant that had a smoking B-B-Q pit in its front yard. The ribs were good! Linda continued her survey of the Cape’s clam chowder “chowda.” In P-town we stayed in a comfortable ocean front room. We played in the ocean and swam in the pool. The Inn was accessible, so I could take those ‘long walks along the beach’ with Linda. She loves that. In P-town Linda also went shopping in the many boutiques and I sat and watched the passing parade of beautiful young bodies, male and female, parading by. P-town is a favorite vacation spot for gay, lesbian and cross gender persons. The tourist crowd included heterosexuals but the majority were gay and lesbian. For me, the large presence of gay men lent itself to a pleasant, friendly and festive atmosphere. The ride back was just as lovely. The next day in the late afternoon we drove back to Onset. We took a slightly different route that virtually kept the ocean in view the whole ride.

Today, July fourth, we are going over to Harry’s and Barbara’s to celebrate the fourth and Barbara’s home coming. Dear cousin Ruth-Ann, my sweet brother Sidney and others

And More Cape Cod

Yesterday was a lovely sunny day here in Cape Cod. We spent most of the day floating in the bay. That evening we had dinner with Harry at a pleasant seaside restaurant. Before dinner we visited with Barbara at the Rehabilitation center. It was a great visit. She was lucid the entire time. We had fun talking and remembering. Barbara is as sweet as she always was.

Did you hear Obama’s talk on patriotism? It was great. He is an excellent speaker. He made it clear that he is above all patriot. He said a patriot’s loyalty is rooted in America’s ideals of individual freedom, free speech, and self-sacrifice for the greater good of all of us.

Today we ate breakfast at our favorite, Pier View Café in Onset Village. Onset is very small. The center of the village is about three blocks long. Most of the indigenous folks know us and greet us as we walk the street or enter a business. In the café, the woman who’s waited on us for the last five years has taken to giving me a hug every morning after breakfast. They have a great breakfast. Onset is a warm friendly place and the food is great. For lunch or dinner the best seafood we have eaten in Cape Cod has been in Marc Anthony’s Pizzeria in Onset. Really! We know it’s a pizzeria, but their whole belly clams are so fresh and perfectly prepared. And the atmosphere is so quirky and delightful.

Keith, Russell and Jameel called and gave us a report on the house and Linda’s cat Lala. We have wonderful support back in Baltimore. It allows us to vacation worry free. Keith our friend, and Russell and Jameel, our sons look after the house as does Paula our neighbor. Junior comes by on Fridays and cleans the yard, alley and front sidewalk. So we are blessed. And we’ve had more sex than we had all year.