"YOU MUST BE A GRANDPARENT"

Fuck yes, I am a grandparent.  SHE:  full of venom screaming at me; clutching her cell phone; and driving not a crossover SUV but a big mother expedition or escalade.  ME:  a great humanitarian and a fantastic grand father picking up his grand son at school.  There is apparently a protocol to these pick ups which I was not worthy of knowing.  I wanted the last space so I could get out quickly without being blocked in.  Nicely enough, I left her space for her and the yacht to parallel park right in front of me.  Then she went berserk, powered down her window as did I, and ended up by kind of name calling me a grandparent.  My only comment (being a great humanitarian) was to advise her not to go there.  The glow of her lipstick and nail polish was blinding.  Give me a fucking break with this protocol bullshit.

Shout outs:  to H who found me in a Manhattan restaurant after sleuthing worthy of Sherlock Holmes because he wanted to meet the writer of this excellent screed; to J and S on their anniversary; to J for surviving and having a great conversation with me; to A and L for being great hosts.

Ends and Odds:
--I think Vince Vaughn is very funny.  I also think he is a lunatic and now I have to decide if I boycott his work.  Seems he thinks school personnel should be required to carry guns.  Say what?
--Kerry had his leg repaired while awake, was up on his feet the next day, and is home less than a week later.  He is 70.  I would remain in bed for the duration and drive everyone crazy.
--Florida, that no regulation state, apparently lets any old hospital do any old surgery if they just "want" to.  So an alarming incidence of death from pediatric cardiac surgeries at one of their fine hospitals generated this comment beginning (more or less):  "Florida does not regulate".  Seriously?
--Both Qatar and Russia ended up as World Cup sites via bribery.  But I doubt those yokels at FIFA will do anything to change locations.
--Two notes for all of you keeping track of Catholic issues:  The Pope is about to issue an encyclical on climate change and some of the Republican boys running for Prez are already disputing his role in that debate.  Plus, the Archbishop of Minneapolis and his top aide resigned after yet another sexual abuse scandal.  Too bad this Pope cannot be everywhere.
--And to balance the ledger:  an eminent rabbi up here is involved in a sex scandal of his own which also involved money he embezzled from his synagogue.  Fair is fair.
--That fine school called FSU has offered a football scholarship to a 14 year old who already wears size 18 shoes and weighs 300 pounds.  Nothing in the story about health implications.  It is a sports story.
--Ted Cruz insulted all of us but especially Joe Biden by making a hideous joke after the death of Biden's son.  And he wants to be President.
--We in the Commonwealth have totally screwed up this casino business but the slots parlor will open in two weeks for all the losers who think they will win big on those machines.  I am not smart enough to operate the new fangled version of one armed bandits since you mostly push buttons.

SPORTSTALK
--One item:  Serena is really good.  But I have to say I am really tired of her moaning and groaning and the worst cold she had to overcome.  Play tennis damn it.

Sayonara