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| A leisurely afternoon with the iPad and Diet Dr Pepper at my side. |
Ponderous thoughts I was pondering while looking at some of the overgrown parts of my yard and knowing it’s too hot to get outside to address them:
** I know it’s been a while since my last post, and that was a pretty angry one. But it’s been an emotional time for yours truly and those close to me, following the passing of my dear friend Tom Souza, so I hope you will all cut me some slack. I’ve also been lagging behind on the podcasting front, but I’m working on a couple of ideas that might bear fruit in a few days.
I’ve also used the last couple of weeks for personal maintenance.
One issue was dental when a relatively new crown fell out, but that was replaced fairly quickly. Another involved a preventative check of the last bit of my “original equipment” still being used for work purposes, my vocal cords.
You may not have noticed it from my work for North TV over the football, volleyball and spring sports seasons, but there has been an increasingly raspy tone to my voice over recent months, leading me to fear that I might have polyps or other problems with my vocal cords. So I scheduled an appointment with a specialist at Brigham & Women’s Hospital, and got four doctors in my room for the price of one. They asked questions and were very thorough, then stuck a little hose up my nose and down into my throat (no pain) to take a look.
What they found was encouraging. There was only a little fraying of the cords, something to be expected from someone my age. I may have a little bit of acid reflux action going on — not enough to be noticeable as stomach upset, but enough to irritate my throat while I’m sleeping and thus cause coughing and a raspy quality to my voice. That’s easily addressed by over-the-counter meds.
The last issue, as it has been for the last 10 months, is my left knee. It’s been very troublesome of late and has severely impacted my ability to walk normally. So I had a follow-up appointment yesterday and learned that while my leg is stronger in a lot of ways, the fluid in my knee has also caused issues with my left Achilles’ tendon area, preventing me from taking a full stride forward.
They gave me a shot to reduce the pain and swelling, but also prescribed a full knee brace for daily use — very similar to what Tom Brady wears during games, in fact — with hopes that it will adjust my stride so I’m putting less pressure on the meniscus area and thus lessen swelling and fluid buildup.
The alternative to that would be a full knee replacement, which would mean another year of rehab. And since I’m still working to broadcast high school games and a lot of that involves walking up bleachers to get to my broadcast location, I’ll have to time that to result in the least possible amount of disruption to my availability.
I’m also really wondering if, as I am three years shy of 70, it’s really worth the expense and commitment to do that. But I do cherish my mobility.
So that where it stands today. There’s more dental work coming (molar implant at the top of the list) and a general checkup in July. All to keep this aging classic on the road.
** With that in mind, I do want to offer some thanks to the people that have prevented me from being totally unemployed, my friend Peter Gay and his co-workers at North Attleborough Community Television.
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| Alex Salachi and I are behind the mics during 2019. |
This has been a very challenging year for North TV, given pandemic restrictions and the growing desire on the part of viewers to see high school events live because they were restricted from attending them. But I think that North TV did a great job of meeting those demands, at least through the “Fall II” season. Things got a little tight in the springtime because three seasons of coverage were budgeted and not four, the latter being a creation of the pandemic. But we still got to do a few games in the springtime, and for that I was thankful.
Remember, North TV is not the same as some towns’ local access channels. It’s a non-profit corporation funded jointly by North Attleboro taxpayers, subscribers in North Attleboro and Plainville, and the cable systems that provide premium channels, Internet and phone services to subscribing households. And indeed, the hired help are paid for their services — not a heck of a lot, but I think it’s fair compensation for sitting behind a microphone for a couple of hours and getting to play Jim Nantz or Al Michaels.
I learned a lot this year. I learned not to hate soccer or field hockey (in fact, it was fun to telecast them). I got a lot better at basketball. I didn’t suck that badly at hockey, although I still chuckle at having a goal interrupt a reading of one of my drop-in commercials. My second season of football play-by-play was a clear improvement over my first, and I found that I really enjoyed volleyball. And in the spring, I learned a lot about calling baseball and softball, and the differences between the two in terms of the pace of the commentary (softball is a lot faster).
And of course, I was helped immensely by my co-workers — analysts Glen Farley (football, hockey, baseball, softball), Alex Salachi (basketball, volleyball), Del Malloy (soccer, field hockey) and Martin Grealish (soccer), and cameramen Scott Tooker and Loren Carpenter.
I’m not sure if we have any tournament action to follow in the days ahead. Nor do I know what the future will be for live broadcasts of the games in a more normal 2021-22 season. The MIAA generally frowns upon coverage that might cut into the local gate by encouraging fans to stay home, but the state association looked the other way during the pandemic.
But overall, it was a blast — as it was for my volunteer efforts for Mansfield Cable Access during basketball season, where it was my privilege to call some great games and even greater personal performances.
Let’s do it again next year!
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| At the Plainville Starbucks. Grrrrr. |
** The photo to the right illustrates one of my greatest pet peeves — when people do not pull up to the car next to them in the drive-thru lane at a coffee shop or fast-food outlet. Some blame the pandemic, but there was no evidence at all that sitting with less than a full car length between you and the person in front of you was going to accelerate the spread of COVID.
Why does it bother me so? Because often, it prevents me or the next person behind me to place an order within earshot of the kiosk. When it’s me, I just think it’s rude. And even when I get past, I always feel that my rear end is blocking someone else from ordering, and I can’t get out and apologize for what the clueless soul in front of me is doing.
** Weather permitting — and I do hear the roll of thunder in the distance — I might go watch a softball game tonight. King Philip is playing Taunton at 7 at the PAL complex in Plainville, and while Taunton won the first meeting 4-0 last night to take a one-game lead in the Hockomock Kelley-Rex standings with a game remaining, I think KP might be inspired on its own home field. Besides, this KP team may rule the league for the next three years, given the many outstanding freshmen that debuted this year.
See you around town, folks.
