Who is this man and why did I listen to him talk for an hour yesterday

I have a little bit of a confession to make.  A couple years ago I began following a couple channels on YouTube of child actors from the 1970s, people in their sixties now who were my age then (and I suppose still my age today).

One is Judy Norton, who played oldest daughter Mary Ellen Walton on The Waltons, that aired Thursday nights on CBS in the 1970s.

I just love her--she does a LOT of reminiscing about her years on the show, and of the 6-7 times I've written her, I've gotten great responses every time. 

Another channel I came across recently was a podcast hosted by a couple different guys, Ike Eisenmann (pictured above) and Moosie Drier.   Ike did lots of guest spots on 70s television, and costarred with Kim Richards in the Disney flicks Escape to Witch Mountain and Return to Witch Mountain.  Moosie played John Denver's son in the 1977 movie Oh God and Howard Borden's son on The Bob Newhart Show.

I know, I know--we're not exactly talking big or famous actors here.  But they're both in their early sixties now (like me) and I just feel a connection to them.  I enjoy hearing them reminisce, and they help me remember those years with great fondness.

Anyway, the reason I'm even sharing all of this is because during a recent podcast, Ike was admitting to feeling envy today at other child actor's resumes back then, and Moosie said "But they've never had a documentary made about them."   Ike admitted it was very flattering.  

I looked it up, watched it last night and enjoyed it very, very much.  Filmmaker Dion Labriola, 60 years old, knew very early on what he wanted to do in life.  Draw monsters and make films about them.  And then one day in a teen idol magazine belonging to his sister, he saw an interview with Ike Eisenmann who said he enjoyed drawing things like spaceships and monsters, and hoped to do it professionally someday.

(For the record, as my family and friends well know, I also did lots of drawings of spaceships and monsters back then.  So I really related to this pair.)

Dion became obsessed with Ike and began writing him VERY detailed fan letters of how they should meet, become friends, collaborate on projects, become rich & successful.  Sadly, Ike never saw any of these letters until many years later, when both were middle aged.

It's still a great story though, and a wonderful documentary.  And you can watch it for free on the PBS app.  The End!

It may not be a protest, but I'll do what I can

It's been a rainy, windy day here in Pittsburgh--a high of around 49 degrees at noon.  Since the return of my long covid symptoms in mid-Sept (where things like sunlight & heat cause my cranial inflammation to flare for hours) I figured it would be good 'walking weather' to the market for some groceries.

Got some eggs, raspberry jam, Thomas English muffins, string beans, sausage... lots of good stuff.

When I got home I was glad to see my Arizona Highways 2026 calendar had arrived, along with my mail in ballot and a postcard from some woman named Nancy who lives in Florida, imploring me to vote in November in favor of keeping the 3 Pennsylvania Supreme Court judges up for retention.  "Doug, they're all Democrats!"

Yes Nancy I know, and of course I'll be voting to keep them on the bench for another 10 years.  If they go, we'll be left with 4 judges--two Dem, two Republicans.  And if we get a Republican majority, we'll lose things like abortion rights and mail-in voting, which we need more than ever right now.  Those damn Republicans, I wish I could wring their necks, chop 'em all up in little pieces.   

Whoa, where'd that come from?  I'm just in a cranky mindset from this chronic inflammation--besides, most Republicans seem to look past all the crap King Trump spews daily.   I try my best to as well.

Anyway, just wanted to put something new out here.  I need to get my ballot in the mail, pronto.

Better feet, a lousy face & 60 billion cultures can't be wrong (hopefully)

I'm going to be brutally honest here.  Ever since I went to the hospital on Sept 28 with a "blocked bile duct" (their diagnosis, I'm not so sure) I've been dealing with stomach issues.  A constant sore stomach, bloating, cramps, bouts of severe constipation or like this past Saturday, severe nausea and constant going.  13 trips to the toilet in one day, I kid you not.

My doctor diagnosed me with IBS back in 2019 when I was going thru something similar, but I think that's their blanket term for "you got bathroom problems and it could be anything".   I know I'm always dealing with health issues and you probably think I'm a hypochondriac.  I'd happily confess to being one, if there wasn't so much pain & discomfort involved.  

Anyway, I saw a news story recently about probiotics helping people with IBS symptoms, so I did some research and got these a few days ago.  People swear these "gut flora" capsules have changed their lives for the better.

On a positive note, my belly has been behaving itself for 3-4 days now.  I think it's much too soon to give credit to these things, but I'll still be taking one daily for the long-term.

Another positive note, the plantar fasciitis is finally easing up.  It's still hurtful to walk on hard floors without something on my feet, but a good pair of tube socks will do the trick.  And my feet are no longer in pain for an hour after I get out of the shower.  

On a lousier note, I'm still wrestling with this long covid relapse.  (It returned on Sept 12, the day after a 3 hour dental visit.)   It seems to follow a cycle... one day I am pain-free and happy as a clam.  The second day, stinging in my left eye and temples, and a constant smell of baked beans and burnt hair.  The third day... swelling in the face, lots of orofacial pain.   It can last for several days too.

I was signed up to go with the senior center to the Sea Shell Restaurant on Wed, Oct 15.  I talked to my friend Mary from the center Monday night and was feeling mostly ok and hopeful.  Then Tuesday night I'm talking to my friend Diana, and smelling baked beans and burnt hair.  I told her I had a bad feeling.  Wednesday morning the pain returned and I had to call the center and cancel.  

A real bummer, I haven't seen my friends or my gal Evie in weeks.  (At least I got to talk with Evie last night, she recently took a fall and I hope she's okay.)

Right now it's difficult to schedule plans, so the next time I get a good day I plan to get back to the center and hopefully see some friendly faces.  I'd happily contend with Cussin' Connie calling me a #$%^*# hypochondriac if I could just see her again and give her a hug!

Finally, I feel the need to apologize for being so wrapped up in my own problems.  As much as I try to avoid the world outside my apartment, I still see what's going on and the scary state of things.  As much as I'm glad for those protests for democracy, it's like my covid relapse, just a big waiting game.

Picture of the Day: Gotta love (and fear, a little) all this new technology

This is my new Asus laptop on the left, it replaced my 2011 Toshiba which died a little over a week ago.  I went from a Windows7 operating system to Windows 11, and it's been a giant leap.  But this Asus is super-fast with helpful tools, and I am learning new things every day.

The computer on the right is a budget laptop, a silver Lenovo with a mind of it's own.  More on that in a second.  

A few days ago I awoke to pouring down rain, and the local weather said it'd be an all day thing.  The last time we had inclement weather, I cleaned out my linen & front room closets.  Today I'd tackle the big dawg--my wall length bedroom closet.

In the far back was a long skinny box and when I pulled it out, saw LENOVO across the front.  When I opened it on my bed, a silver laptop was inside.  My memory of purchasing it was vague, but when I went on Amazon and looked at my Order History... I remember now.  It was bought during their Black Friday 2022 sale for a hundred off the regular price, only $224.00.

I remember registering my MSN account on it, then packing it away.  At the time my Toshiba was still hanging on, and I wasn't ready to learn a new operating system.  This would be my "In Case of Emergency" machine.  I honestly forgot all about it.

So it's been hidden away almost 3 years.  Does it still work?  I plugged it in and turned it on.  The Lenovo awoke from it's deep slumber and asked if edougmorris was still the owner.  Yes.  It asked if wireless network TEEPEE2 was mine.  Yep again.  It asked me to provide pins for both.  

It said "This computer has detected 163 Windows and other software updates.  Proceed with all updates?"  I said yes, why not.  It said to leave it on and plugged in.  So I did, and went back to my closet cleanout.  

A couple hours later, lunch.  The Lenovo was still sitting on my bed, doing God knows what.

I came into the living room, watched Perfect Murder on HBO Max, got on my Asus, checked my emails.  Around 3:00 I went back into my bedroom.

The Lenovo screen now displayed "Updates are complete and computer is ready for use."   The wallpaper is different, but it's somehow a clone of my Asus now.  The same folders, documents, desktop icons.  The internet browser has my favorite websites, everything.

Even Microsoft Office I bought for my Asus is on here too, working.  (I discovered MS Office automatically detects and copies itself on up to 5 of your MSN devices.)

The screen resolution on the Lenovo is low compared to the hi-def Asus, it has less memory and a smaller processor too.  The keys aren't backlit, but they don't need to be--they're a bit larger and easier to see.  Here's the real shocker, the Lenovo screen is a touch screen.  Wait, is my $600 Asus a touch screen?  Nope.  

I'll be dam--darned, I'm liking the budget Lenovo as much as the Asus, and I paid 3 times as much for that Asus!  

Well, at least now I really DO have an "In case of Emergency" machine.  

Diary of a Fat Man: Climb ev’ry mountain, search high & low…

This is me, atop a mini-mountain at the Phipps Conservatory this summer on July 9.  I’m not on top of the world just yet, but I’m getting there. 

I was with my friend & former classmate Diana, who I hadn’t seen since the summer of 2023 when we toured Frank Lloyd Wright’s house.  After that tour, I saw pictures of myself and made a vow to lose 50 pounds the next time I saw Diana.  I weighed 270 lbs then.

I didn’t keep that vow.  After our recent get-together, I returned home from the Conservatory and dug out my digital scales and groaned when I stepped on. 

I weighed 250 lbs.  It wasn't 270 at least, but still…

I’d love to get down to 215 pounds and stay there.  But I haven't been that low in 25 years.

So… here we go again.  I’ve been tracking my weight since the first of August, not dieting, but making a real effort to avoid second helpings, late night nibbles and sweets.  With my plantar fasciitis, my favorite exercise (walking) isn't what it used to be, but I try to stay active throughout the day. 

I think it will help my motivation if I make this public.  30 pound loss, here I come.

DATE	WEIGHT	TOTAL SINCE AUG 1
AUG 1 2025	249.4	0
AUG 8	248.8	-0.6
AUG 15	247.8	-1.6
AUG 22	246.7	-2.7
AUG 29	244.4	-5.0
SEP 5	242.0	-7.4
SEP 12	239.6	-9.8
SEP 19	238.5	-10.9
SEP 26	237.4	-12.0
OCT 03	236.4	-13.0
OCT 10	236.0	-13.4
OCT 17	234.5	-14.9
OCT 24
OCT 31
NOV 7
NOV 14
NOV 21
NOV 28
DEC 5
DEC 12
DEC 19
DEC 26
JAN 2 2026

And Diana, the next time you see me I hope to look a little less rounder than your hairy fella here!

Cooler days ahead (finally), taking out the trash & a WHOLE LOT of concrete

When I first came to the Tiffany, the gentleman showing me and my sister the available units commented on this one:  "If you move into 402, you'll have less than fifty steps to the trash room."  Sign me up! 

Actually, that's not why I chose my apt--but for 5 years, it was very convenient.  I like to take out my trash nightly before bed, and it was nice to scamper down the hallway (you know, like a little bunny rabbit) and toss my garbage in that room.

And then a year or so ago, Steiner realized they could save on staffing if we took our trash outside ourselves.  They told us "It's nothing, really.  Just take the elevator to the basement, walk 100 feet thru the underground parking garage to the dumpster directly outside."   So we did, nothing to it.  

Then a few months ago they announced they were replacing the blacktop parking lot behind the building with a concrete one, so the back door, basement & underground garage would be off limits for 6 weeks.  Of course, we're now in our 18th week.

But it does look like they're in the final stages, which is perfect now that the cooler air is here.  See, our so-called central cooling unit sat directly behind the Tiffany--and since May 15, it's been operational a total of 6 days.  With some of the hottest temps on record this summer, it has rarely been below 85F in my apartment.  I don't think I can do this again. 

Anyway, I thought I'd show my route to the dumpster and our fancy new concrete lot behind the building.  It will only fit about 15 cars back there, and with 100 units in the building--ah well!

Walk out the front of the building, head down this path...

Go around the corner and down this alley... at night a young transgender man hangs out back here.  I said hi to him once and he giggled, it was pretty creepy.  

Oh and here's the new concrete parking lot behind the Tiffany--I wonder who will be footing the bill for all this concrete?

Back to taking out the trash--head down these steps to Cherry Alley... (and if you head 65 miles south to my sister's house, she has a Cherry Alley behind her house as well)

You've arrived at your destination--see that green dumpster in the center?  Make sure you don't hurt yourself back there.  And that big silver box between the two white vehicles is our joke of an HVAC unit.  That's all!

Good things are coming, I just gotta get thru one more thing...

Last weekend when I was in the hospital for a blocked bile duct, they gave me a pair of those hospital socks with the nubs on the bottoms (to walk on slick hospital room floors with) and I said "Would you mind if I wore these double-thick tube socks I brought with me?  I have plantar fasciitis and those nubs are too painful on my feet."   They said oh sure, sorry to hear that.

Later that night around 1am when they came in to check my heartrate and temp, the nurse saw my swollen face and said "Douglas, wake up--I alerted the doctor you have a high temperature and one side of your face is swollen, were you stung earlier?  Do you have a food allergy?"  I said no, I've been dealing with a long covid relapse since mid-August and this happens every night.  She later returned with a naproxen to reduce the inflammation and I said "Can I just have some regular aspirin?  Naproxen interferes with the Amlodipine I take at night for my high blood pressure."  Cathy (the nurse) said "You're not doing too well, are you?  Hang in there!"  

Since coming home, I've been dealing with a sore stomach and then a couple nights ago, some pretty severe bloating.  Very painful on the right side (hence the hot water bottle is always with me) plus I am out of breath--constantly.  It's really pushing on my lungs.  

I am still feeling fortunate though--I was supposed to visit my friend Carl at the hardware store on Saturday to get help in retrieving data from my recently croaked laptop, but he called Friday morning and asked if I could come in a day sooner as Mitchell was there, and this was REALLY his thing.  I said of course, and Mitchell was a great guy--I brought along a couple flash drives and we were able to get the rest of my files off my old Toshiba.   

On my way home, I stopped at my barbershop and gave my barber Roe (who is also suffering with plantar fasciitis) a foot roller like the one pictured above.  I then stopped in my dentists office and canceled my next appointment on Oct 13, got back home just in time for my stomach to begin its crazy bloating thing.  I laid in bed Friday night, unable to turn on either side it hurt so bad.  God, what did I ever do to you?

It was no better on Saturday, in fact the pain was worse; at least it kept me from stuffing myself (which I am prone to do every weekend), all I wound up having was a bowl of hot & sour soup and some applesauce.  I had this bloating several years ago (also after a gallstone mishap) and it lasted 3-4 weeks before it fully went away.  

I haven't been to the senior center since mid-August, they've probably forgotten all about me (and I wouldn't blame 'em, I'd forget myself too).  I'm just amazed at this series of unfortunate events.  At the same time, I am liking my new computer and my feet are finally showing some real healing--still too painful to walk about barefoot, but I can stand in the shower longer and they're not in great pain in the mornings.

I've also been doing good at sticking to my healthier eating (you'll see in my next post) and the orofacial pain (from that horrific dental visit 4 weeks ago) is finally dying down too.  Now I just have to get this awful bloating to settle down and pray nothing else goes wrong--for a couple of weeks at least!

One more thing, I know my posts have been a real drag lately, and I'm always surprised when kind folk and online friends show up to offer their friendship & support.  Thank you, and I'm going to try harder to talk about things beside my health in the future.

Crikey, when it rains it pours

This has been a real week.  Spent the weekend in the hospital (and to be honest, still dealing with some belly issues).  Then I came home to no internet and a defective router, which Xfinity did come to my place and got me set up with a new gizmo which works wonderfully.

And then Wednesday morning I get up, make a cup of coffee, get situated on my couch to work on my upcoming blog about fighting fat... and my beloved laptop died.  

My new Asus Vivobook on the top, my 2011 Toshiba below; they have the same size 15.6" screen

It had nothing to do with the new gateway just installed in my home.  The Toshiba has been on it's last legs for a few years now, held together with packing tape, twine and even half-erasers under 3-4 keys that were stuck.  It took forever to start up, and even longer to shut down at night--but I loved it like an old friend.  

I bought the Asus over a year ago, back in Jan 2024, one week before I got covid that became long covid.  It's been hidden away in my bedroom dresser ever since.  Until today, that is.

I feel like I've been uprooted from 2011 and tossed into 2025.  Did you know The Good Wife is no longer on tv?  President Obama is no longer in office and we're under siege by a Fascist party and megalomaniac tyrant?  You don't own Microsoft Office anymore, you SUBSCRIBE to it?  Enough!

This new laptop is lighter on the lap--it weighs 13 ounces.  Not even one pound.  My Toshiba weighs 10 pounds, 5 oz--that thing was a tank.  Anyway,  I can't figure out where anything is on here.  It keeps telling me to stop trying to store files on it, move them to Microsoft's One Drive.  

The mousepad doesn't even have buttons!  

What bothers me most of all, the first thing I did was download "Open Live Writer.  OLW is an editor I've been using for 20 years to write and publish my blogs.  But when I tried to install it, I got a stern warning APP DENIED ACCESS from Google (because it uses your Google credentials to create an offline version of your blog).   

I went looking for answers.  I discovered this has been happening since 2020 for every blogger who uses OLW and gets a new computer.   So after 20 years of blogging, this is my first time writing a post using Blogger's online editor.   It's going to take some time getting used to.  

Well, on Saturday I am meeting with Carl from the hardware store, we're going to use his work station and an ethernet cable to hopefully get access to my Toshiba's hard drive long enough to retrieve my photos folder, financial documents and a couple blog drafts I was working on.  Wish me luck and if you see anything weird going on with my blog--that's just me trying to get a new handle on things here.  Thanks for listening.