Fall is Back

Tuesday October 3, 2011. 9:30 pm during the ALDS 4th game in Detroit....Yankees winning so far. Go Jeter. My back has been an issue for the past month....Sciatica (sounds like a Bubbly anti-inflamatory drink). But things are easing up a bit now...I'm back in Physical Therapy and getting some help. Needed 2 weeks off to repair myself, but now I'm back playing, practicing, performing. I'm fortunate to have lots of opportunities. Last weekend we were in Bethesda with our daughter's marvelous family for the second week in a row for Rosh Hoshanah. The weekend before was Jamie and Mike's fabulous wedding. We had a ball both weekends. Rabbi Greg's thoughts on Israel were inspiring. Going up to Woodstock for Yom Kippur....I owe the roofer for a new roof finished Friday. We hope to have the place repainted in the Spring. A new drug called Vizcosa is helping me to loose weight....have to get the sugar thing under control. I'll see Dr. Farooki soon again (Endocronologist at MSKCC) and in December Dr. Berman for a checkup. Carol and I have been doing fine on the checkups so far. We have had a rainy end of summer here, but things are going to dry up beginning tomorrow. Gotta go. Good health to all. Thanks for keeping up with us. Peace. JIM

Good Night Irene

Sept. 1, 2011. And so we sing goodbye to Hurricane Irene even though Paterson and Fairfield are inundated with water (Barack is visiting Paterson today, bringing FEMA etc.) and the Catskills are devastated. Carol and I tried to get to our Woodstock house yesterday and we were turned around 3 times. We made it in via the back roads, 212 to Fishcreek to Church Road. No power, but no trees in the living room either. A neighbor's Stone house lost a wall to a tree. The farmer next door had a loud generator going constantly, otherwise he has no water or refrigeration or lights. It may take weeks to get back to normal travel up there. Some towns (Prattsville, NY) were wiped off the map. Down the river.
We opened the windows and tried to let some drier air into the place....then prepared the house for a new roof going on this September, covered the furniture etc. to keep as clean as possible during the roofing job. Several families who used the place recently left nice notes, they all enjoyed it. We'll get back for October, Yom Kippur etc.
Here in Maplewood we still have to boil water. Some are without power but most power has returned. A few trees still not sawed up yet. Traffic is slow everywhere. Tonight we close our "Friends of 1978" art show and we'll return 2 frames back to our own home walls. It's always a joy to participate in a show.
Carol and I both did well with recent checkups. I had a post put in this week for a tooth implant; it's all ok. Looking forward (ugh) to Jury Duty, but also the return of many rehearsals and a few gigs. Enjoy the end of summer....I'm off to the pool for a swim. JIM

Good Checkup

Wed. August 3, 2011. I saw Dr. Berman today for a checkup in the clinic on the 4th floor at Memorial Sloan Kettering CC hospital. All counts are great...WBCs , RBCs Platelets etc. So I'm good to go for another 4 months, which takes me to December. I also have lost 5 pounds with the new weight loss regimen, Victoza. I suspect I'll try to loose 20 or 25 pounds by the end of the year. I've already increased my exercise with this new regimen...doing water aerobics in the Community Pool outdoors which is great. A good workout with bouyancy in the water helping the knees and hips and the resistance of the water helping the leg and arms and shoulder muscles. I signed up yesterday again for the winter at the YMCA and hope to continue the laps and workouts in the pools.
So tonight we are playing again with our Jimmy Lee Ramblers Band at the Maplewood Pool. We did so last year as well but we're becoming more popular and expert with all these gigs...last week again at Hat City Kitchen. This Saturday Night we're in South Orange and Sunday we're back at the Pool. Fun summer of playing.
We'll be going back to the Woodstock house in mid August for fun. We've really been enjoying that on recent vacations. I'm working on getting the roof reshingled soon.
I saw some of my nurses at the hospital today up on the 12th floor. It is always a joyous reunion. They deal with alot of heavy shit and they are happy to see me standing up and walking around. They consider me one of their "Graduates". Hah!!
Then I went up to the 15th floor to say hello to the Recreation staff...they are all so good and supportive. I found a real good place to hangout there when I was a patient there, and I participate in their patients art show there. Always good to see them and thank them for their work.
Gotta go get ready for work . See ya. Thanks for keeping up with me. JIM

Blogosphere Find

Sun. July 24, 3:47 am. I came across David Finckel's Blogs today...about his performances, travels, and his thoughts about performing music with a cello...that is technique and ideas about making music. David is an extraordinary writer as he is a musician and it is an inspiration to read his blog. Carol and I are very interested in maybe one joining the CMS tour/cruise. I especially recommend these blogs to musicians.
I spent the early part of Saturday practicing double bass and shaping up the fingerboard. Then sharing some DVDs with Debra Vogel, then a meeting with X Finity about changing internet service, then a quick set of laps in the Pool. Then to Maplewood Center for a delicious ice cream, followed by early to bed, since the Yankees already lost earlier in the day. I'm up for a while after checking the blood sugar values. I've been much better under control since beginning therapy with Victoza for weight loss.
It was great to speak with Rebekah again today after Shabbot, the first since the kids return from Israel. They had an amazing tour. Now back to reality. The kids have many summertime adventures still to come; camp, California, etc.
Tonight we continue performance at our SummerMusic Concerts with tuba in the Concert Band. Tomorrow back to the Diner with the Well Fed Trio. No more big band Mon. morns until after Labor Day.
Back to MSK for a checkup on Aug. 3rd. Speak to you after that. Keep cool. JIM

Heat Wave

7.22.11 THINK COOL THOUGHTS

July Heat

Tues., July 12, 2011. I recd a call today from a friend in California who follows my blog concerned that I haven't written in a while. I apologize, all is ok. My numbers are good and I feel good. Carol is fine and busy. Mom is doing very well also. I started a new drug to help me loose weight and it is helping with the cravings to eat. So I hope this will work better than other attempts. The music jobs have been keeping me busy this summer. Mon. and Tuesday mornings still the Big Band in Paterson; Mon evenings Jazz at the Parkwood Diner; Wed. nights concerts at the pool; last Sunday MapleWoodstock (see MapleWoodstock.com or Maplewoodonline.com) and Friday night Summer concerts in South Orange. So we are busy. I've also been posting frequently on that other site (FB). On a hot day like today I'll get over to the pool and get in some laps and do some reading.
I'm easing up on the rehearsals with cello, and with the brass quintet, and the trombone quartet, this summer. We'll get back to that again in the fall.
We got up to Woodstock for a fine July 4th weekend...favorite restaurants, the Miro String Quartet at the Maverick; a great movie, several art galleries etc. All in all a wonderful vacation. We'll go back for some weekends soon and then a week in August.
Rebekah and Greg and the kids are in Israel for a nice trip. Exciting stuff. We enjoyed having Ben and Maayan here for a week...Spiderman, miniature golf, movies, restaurants, NJ Shore, and Seaside Park amusements...lotsa fun. Also reading and math skills with Grandma and Music lessons and Woodworking skills with Grandpa for that "Camp Grandmapa" week.
This year at MapleWoodstock I played with the Jimmy Lee Ramblers, our new country band. Lotsa fun. Very different from my usual gigs. I gotta go buy me a new pair of cowboy boots soon....my old ones are too small anymore.
OK, enjoy the summer you all. I'll write again after my next visit to Memorial Sloan Kettering in August. Peace, and again, thanks for keeping up with me. JIM

Memorial Day weekend 2011

We're off to Woodstock. enjoy the weekend. Thanks to all who help with Millie. The art show was a success, I sold a piece. I'm so excited, I found some old pine Armoires, so I'm fixing 1 up for Woodstock and the other to sell and get my money back. The workshop at MSKCC in Basking Ridge was very informative, not about our specific diagnosis but about blood cancers generally. Dr. Hamilton was an excellent speaker. Getting ready for Open Gardens.com soon. Peace. See you soon. We're off to San Francisco next week for the Bassists Convention. Enjoy. Thanks for keeping up with me. JIM