Company coming! Roll out the TVs - Linda and Jack Fogel are in from Cleveland

 Jack Fogel. In his retirement years, he coaches a basketball team. And also works at the track, which I believe is called Northfield.

He visited our Parx Track in Bensalem. He met some guys he knew from Northfield. The world of horse-racing is his undying passion. He made good money during the Kentucky Derby years ago when they paid him to go down and be a ticket-taker. The only hotel he could stay in was in Indiana, 75 miles away.

No one has more energy than Jack Fogel. He cooks meals for his 94-yo mom/law my Aunt Selma.

 He showed me the contents of his - what is that, Jack? A creepy briefcase like businessmen carry?

Halls Cough Drops which he introduced to his basketball team

Lip balm, ditto. They're all addicted, he said.

If his back hurts

A couple of racing forms which he meticulously studies.

He won $70 at Parx today and then quit when he was ahead.

I showed him my Hmong back pack. He's one of very few people who knew about the Hmong tribe of Vietnam, Laos, China, Cambodia.

We each keep a multitude of pens


and I showed him my aspirin container in case I get another TIA and three choices of diabetes lo-blood sugar.

So many ways to die.

Happy birthday Uncle Marvin. That's Linda's dad. He was 88 when he passed and went upstairs to meet his mother Gramma Green and his brother Harold J Greenwold, my dad. Gosh it's been so long I almost forgot his name.

 Little Ruthie, age 67, set the table. A debate raged: paper plates or real ones. Oh for godssakes I said, you have outa-town company, bring out the glass plates. I'll do the dishes. Which I did.

 Mom's famous sweet n sour meatballs, made now with turkey meat. It has chunks of water chestnuts and crushed pineapple.

Roasted asparagus in the background. I prepared this, using the last of the olive oil, ground pepper, and Parm cheese, which they keep in the freezer.

Look, it's their house they can do what they want.

Jack went into the dining room with his own food and studied the racing forms. He went to Ben n Irv's and bought cold cuts. He's drinking a Diet Coke Zero. I poured a little in a glass for myself. Just wanted a teeny-tiny taste.

I took a very large sip, rolled it around in my mouth and, as planned, spit it out. I would never let that poison inside my body. I used to be addicted and had to drink it with every meal. The taste was vile... like a mad scientist had invented it.

I found Jack Fogel utterly fascinating!

Mom's famous pecan tarts. Scrumptious! Guess how many I had?

None. I'd already raised my blood sugar to 202 with her brownies, made with a new recipe.

Ellen pronounced these brownies 'decadent.' They were delicious. I can stop myself at two.

Mom was adamant about setting up a TV in the living room. Her friend Ron Tempest, husband of Hildegund, came over at 9:30 pm to make it work. I'd never seen him before which is why I got his photo. The two Tempests help my mom with everything! I think he was a science teacher at Germantown Friends.

My mom is smiling b/c the lights went on again.

We were sitting down to eat our salad when the lights went out. Too much electricity was being used in the kitchen.

I was foaming at the mouth.

But I stuck around. First thing I did when I got home, after checking FB.....

Dyou see your grandchildren? Linda asked me.

Sure, I said. On Facebook.

I got on stationery bike. And pedaled for half an hour.

Sugar went down to 50, so I've been snacking over here on the red couch, unbeknownst to anyone by me and my Lord Jesus.