Just Me On The 4th of July

It was so hot that I stayed indoors until the sun started to set. That’s when I got dressed and headed for the local fireworks show. This year I brought my tripod to use with my camera. I didn’t bring my tripod last year and all of my pictures turned out blurry. My hands shake and I don’t know why, all I know is that it seems to be getting worse.

I found a nice spot in the grass and sat down waiting for the fireworks to start. I had a friend that I use to take with me but she died in a car accident 9 years ago. So I go all by myself now. I don’t know why I still go to these things. As I sat there, I started thinking about my friend and I.

My mind wondered as I watched all of the families sitting on the green grass around me. Their children were running around laughing and having fun playing while we waited for it to get dark. Pretty soon I was regressing and in my mind I was a little boy again, sitting there next to my Mom and Dad. I wish I could turn back time.
I have two children, a boy and a girl. We use to go to the fireworks shows every year. They acted just like all the other kids that were with their families that were sitting around me waiting for the fireworks to start. Yeah, I thought of them too, but now my children along with their mother have moved away. You know how that goes and now they too are all grown up and have children of their own. So now I sit here all alone on the green grass reminiscing about my family and my friend wishing they were all here with me. SUDDENLY…. BANG,BANG, 

the fireworks had begun. I started taking pictures of all the beautiful sky rockets going off above me. Somehow I didn’t feel alone anymore. I was too busy trying to capture the moment on my camera. The sky rockets kept going off one right after the other. I wanted to get some good pictures. 

When I got back to my apartment, I loaded up the pictures on my computer. I had taken 77 shots and the best ones out of all of them in my opinion were the pictures I took of all the families sitting there on the green grass looking up as the sky lit up in a gorgeous dazzling display of colors. Yeah, it was all about the families watching the fireworks that turned out to be the most stunning pictures of all of them.

Obama Eliminates Cooling assistance to the Disabled and the Elderly

                 Obama Eliminates Cooling assistance to the

                             Disabled and the  Elderly



Since that article was printed in the Daily Herald on June 5th 2011, I haven't turned on my air conditioning this summer yet. I just cannot afford to turn it on. I can't imagine what my bill would be if I turned the air conditioning on.

The Schaumburg Township came out with their July newsletter. In it they printed up an article called…




Hot Weather Tips

With the onset of summer weather, prevent heat related illnesses that can be life threatening with the tips below. It’s also very important to check on older adults and people with disabilities.

HOT WEATHER TIPS:

1. Stay indoors in air conditioning as much as possible and in the shade if you go outside.
(Well I can’t do this one because Obama cut the cooling assistance off. I can’t afford to turn on my air conditioning.)

2. If your home is not air conditioned, spend at least two hours daily at an air conditioned mall, library or other public place.
(With the price of gas the only place I can afford to go to is to my Cardiac Rehabilitation Class at the hospital. That class helps out a lot with the heart attack that I had and my Multiple Sclerosis.)


3. Wear sunscreen outside, along with a hat and light-colored clothes that cover as much skin as possible.
(Yeah, OK, I can do that one when I take my walks in the Nature Preserve near my house.)

4. Drink water regularly even if you are not thirsty. Limit alcohol, which speeds dehydration.
(Ok that’s another one that I do all the time but if you have bladder control problems make sure you’re wearing some protection. As far as the alcohol goes, I quit that 28 years ago. Best thing I ever did.)

5. Never leave children or pets alone in the car.
(I don’t have to worry about that one. My kids are all grown up and married and I don’t have pets. They’re not allowed in my building)

6. Avoid exertion during the hottest part of the day.
(You can bet your last dollar that I do that one)

7. Take a cool shower or bath.
(Now this is the best one on the list. Here’s what I do. I fill the bath tub with cool water and get in and relax. When my body temperature gets back to normal, I get out and sit down in front of the fan and watch TV. When my body starts to get hot again, I get right back in the bath tub. A shower will serve the same purpose it’s just that I like to lay down and relax in the tub.
When I told the people in my disability class about number 7 in the list of “Hot Weather Tips” No one laughed. And don’t worry about the nudism part. It’s a lot better than sitting in your home in all that heat and dying from a stroke or a heart attack.

Happy Father's Day

With Fathers Day coming up this weekend, I couldn't help thinking about my Dad. He passed away in 1993 at the age of 76.

I Love you Dad

"No Federal Funds for Heat Relief This Summer"

Disabled in Schaumburg.

The next day after I posted my Blog called "Where Did All My Money Go?" explaining why I can't turn on my air conditioning. The Associated Press published this article in the Daily Herald Called "No Federal Funds for Heat Relief This Summer"



I went to my Disability meeting at our township this afternoon to ask them about Energy assistance for this summer. The air conditioning in my car doesn't work so it was a hot drive over there. That's when they gave me the article. They told me there are no Federal Funds available.

Today it was 95 degrees here in Schaumburg Illinois. I couldn't turn on my air conditioning for the reasons I described in my post "Where Did All My Money Go?" Tomorrow it will be even hotter.

I try and stay as cool as possible during the day. I don't want to have another heart attack. I fill up the bathtub with cool water and get in and then I go sit in front of the fan and watch TV."

A Walk in The Park

I got out out of my apartment and took a walk in the nature preserve today. I timed it perfectly. The flowers where all in bloom in the woods. It was warm, quite and beautiful.

Where Did All My Money Go?

I live on Social Security Disability. I use to have a little extra  spending money every month after I paid my bills on the 3rd of the month but yesterday when I was paying my bills, I started to wonder how come I don’t have it any more. So I went through all my past bills and made up this Graph. I found out that it started disappearing as soon as Obama was elected. It came down to 2 things, well maybe 4 things. I don’t get the monthly benefits that I use to get anymore. For instance,

1.    Energy assistance for the disabled. I had a Heart attack and a  By-Pass. My electric bill went from $0 to $54.20 a month. I can’t afford to turn on my air conditioning. It was 88 degrees today in this apartment.

2.    Of course then there are the all the medical bills. What ever happen to Medicare and Medicaid? I had to pay more out of pocket money to the doctors this year. 

3.    Then the Circuit Breaker grants where cut in half. Illinois is broke so they can’t pay their bills.

4.    Last but not least, the gas prices. WTF, Somebody I know that lives in a great big house that’s painted white needs to “DO SOMETHING!”

Billy Joins the Navy

With Memorial Day Weekend coming up, I had a idea. I got all my old photos of when I was in the Navy and made a video out of them. I loved making it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.