Pfunksfoolosophy

Just when I thought my life was getting too much to handle, I turned on the television to find that SOME traditions are in place–from my childhood, anyway.

“It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” is on. I am very, very happy.

Linus and Snoopy are my two favorite characters. Even now, I own all of the Peanuts movies. A particular fave is  “Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown” because there is a great sequence with Snoopy in a bar that is priceless.

Ah, the joys of the great pumpkin….

Enjoy, kids.

I wrote about my bro being fifty next year and with that age comes the dreaded exam. A friend of mine was diagnosed with prostate cancer about 10 years ago and he went through a lot of grief and strife, but he’s doing well now. He had radiation and finally surgery to remove the cancerous cells. It wasn’t a trip to Hawaii and he was weak for a good little while, but he’s a strong man with a will of iron. If he had caught it sooner by having the dreaded exam earlier, his process may have been easier.

Imagine if they’d had the technology then that they’ve got today! Right now there is some debate over treatments, but as far as I can tell, they’re getting good results using something called HIFU.
HIFU is High Intensity Focused Ultrasound.

Check it out, it’s sound waves that blast the cancerous cells using high heat. That is plenty cool.

Sonablast is a device that provides a good deal of resolution so they’re able to get in and out without much fuss. Nothing is perfect, to be sure and everyone isn’t a candidate for this, but it’s worth investigating. The surgeon is able to focus that beam on several sites and blast that cancer right out. Very neat, I think.
The coolest aspect for me is that it’s sound waves, man. It’s high tech without ionizing so the tissue surrounding the target isn’t damaged. It’s something to investigate; something to think about. Take a look around…it could save a loved one’s life.

Yesterday was a beautifully cool, crisp autumn day and I spent it grocery shopping. That is usually a drag for most people, but it is absolute heaven for someone who adores cooking as much as I do, lemme tell ya.

First, I went to my local market to pick up a pork shoulder for my pernil. (guess who forgot to buy garlic, the key ingredient? yep. say it with me: MORON) There was a sale on tuna. This brought me tremendous pleasure. You KNOW I got my fill. You know, I have friends who have a hard time shopping for groceries. They actually hate going to the grocery store. It’s the one time I love to go shopping. Clothes or shoe shopping I can live without, but give me a nice green grocer or a good butcher shop and I’m in heaven. Maybe I need a keeper. Maybe I need to get a life…I don’t know and I don’t care. I’m happy to have full cupboards.

It’s the one thing I have control over these days.

My grandparents lived in Florida and we used to go down there to visit every year. Usually in the summer when I was out of school, but occasionally, we got down there during the best time to be down south…the Fall.

St. Augustine, the nation’s oldest city, was our first destination when we arrived in Florida. There is something to be said for the Spanish moss and the history. There’s  also something to be said for an event that occurs the last Saturday in October (which we just missed) and November. It’s  called Uptown Saturday Night. No, it’s not the movie starring Sidney Poitier and Bill Cosby, although that would be cool. It’s an event that has the antique district alive with live music, art exhibits and workshops. If you’re an antique lover or even if you’re just starting out, there’s  something for everyone. Personally, I love old books. I used to have an old Fanny Farmer cookbook that was given to me by some older woman in my grandpa’s church. I wish I still had it because I just found out how much that bad boy is worth. Crazy, right?
Getting back to St. Augustine…when I was a kid, the big attraction was the Ripley’s Believe it or Not Musuem. I don’t know why, but seeing Bible verses etched into a grain of rice was paramount to me…go figure. It will be open and you can check out some cool stuff there while you’re browsing the shops and taking in the local color.

One of the best things about this is that the Mission of Nombre Dios will provide free parking. You can’t go wrong. Events that last from 5-9 pm and free parking? Free live music? You can mingle with local artists and antique experts. Sort of like a cooler version of Antiques Roadshow. If I could get down there, I surely would. I love free events and I love art, antiques and BOOKS,man.

If you’re in Florida on or around November 24th, check out some St. Augustine shopping. I think you’ll have a blast–even if Geechy Dan and Little Seymour aren’t around.