Thank you.
For receiving my daily posts into your life.

It’s over 100 days now.
I wondered when I began: will I like doing it?

I love it.

Outside of the blog:
I’ve been writing for many years now and have a store of content.
I’ve been living for many years and have a store of experience.
I’ve been careful with my health and have a store of energy.
The blog suits.

And the results have been encouraging.

Old friends.
New friends.
Supplying a constant flow of appreciation.

Not that it’s easy.
Not by a long shot.
I must submit to the implacable discipline of a daily blog; of adding content to the Web Site.

This existentialautotrip.com is the second great creative moment of my life, the restaurant being the first. (We’re not counting creating a family.)
The thrill of the creativity of writing alone is worth the price of admission.
As is the tweaking leading to gradual and incremental improvements to the blog presentation; and to my organization.

Also thrilling is to me is the amount of help I’m getting, in tech support, organization, and encouragement.
I didn’t figure this social aspect.
Quite welcome – the responders, existentialautotrip.com bloggers all – pre-filtered.
Common ground from outset.

And on the practical side, how many ventures in this capitalist society can one undertake without risk of great financial loss?

Thank you for your support.

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Today's posting is from the Web Site's BOSTON’S NORTH END of the 1950s and 60s section.
Wednesday’s postings have been reserved for stories of growing up in the North End when it emerged as a highly-regarded cultural destination.

Note that while the stories are interesting, the storytellers, mostly those who grew up then and there, are themselves also interesting. 

This entry is from Ron Fuccillo who likes the cadence and sound of poetry.

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READER’S COMMENT

Richard Engleson writes that his appetite continues unabated.
To hold himself between a robust breakfast and dinner, his menu for lunch: Mushroom barley soup; meatloaf; whipped potatoes; bread; canned fruit.
Two complete lunches.
For $2.00 per, why not?
And don’t forget the ice cream soda a little later.

God bless, my friend.

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BOOK SUMMARY: Of “The Goldfinch,” Chapter Four, Section I.
LEFT OFF: Theo visits Hobie, fulfilling Welty’s dying request.

CHAPTER 4, SECTION 1:  Theo and Hobie get to know each other. Hobie and Welty ran the house as a successful, high-end antiques and finishing shop. With Welty’s death the business lost its business and sales arm and Hobie will not be operating it.

Note that the entire summary from the start of the novel to date can be found on the Web Site: Pages; Goldfinch, The – Summary.

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Today is Wednesday, July 18, 2018
Good morning, my friends.
This is my 101ST consecutive daily posting. 

It’s 6.03am and the day will clear to lovely, as our streak of rather excellent summer days continues.
I’m at my desk.
Dinner is a Cornish hen,

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WIKIPEDIA’S SUMMARY OF WHAT’S PLAYING:

“Meet John Doe” is a 1941 American comedy drama film directed and produced by Frank Capra, and starring Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck.
The film is about a "grassroots" political campaign created unwittingly by a newspaper columnist with the involvement of a hired homeless man and pursued by the paper's wealthy owner.
It became a box office hit and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Story.
It was ranked #49 in AFI's 100 Years... 100 Cheers.
In 1969, the film entered the public domain (in the USA) due to the claimants' failure to renew its copyright registration in the 28th year after release.
It was the first of two features Capra made for Warner Brothers, after he left Columbia Pictures. His second film for Warners was an adaptation of the Broadway play “Arsenic and Old Lace” and was filmed in 1941 but not released until 1944 because the producers of the play wouldn't allow the film to be shown until the production closed.

Gary Cooper walking on screen, in the publisher’s office looking for a job.
What a movie moment.

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Today’s post

Hi Dom, 

As you well know while growing up in the North End, everyone “hung out on the corner.” Our corner ran from the St. Anthony’s school yard on North Bennet St.up to Carlo’s pool room on Hanover st.        

Now, when I say corner, it’s where we met after school or dinner to socialize, talk of current events, plan future events, horse around or play stick ball, or a game we called “errors.”( more on errors, at a future date). 

It had nothing to do with protecting “our turf or our gang.”  We certainly were not to be confused with the Sharks or the Jets.   

However, with that said, it brings to mind the fierce competitive nature each corner had. So when the NEAA,(NORTH END ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION) was founded, it provided all the corners the opportunity to compete and compete we did indeed! The NEAA is now in its 58th year of serving our beloved community and its many youngsters with a variety of worthwhile activities. 

Several years after the NEAA was established a fraternal organization made up of present and former North Enders was formed. It was duly named the Friends Of The North End (FONE). This organization started on our corner and gradually grew to encompass all the other “corners” in the North End. FONE will be celebrating its 46th annual reunion on September 15, 2018.     

Now the stage was set. Like I said earlier, North Enders all have an unmatched competitive nature. Consequently, in a very natural way,a rivalry formed between the adult members of the NEAA and FONE. Bragging rights were always at stake even after 50 years.       

So, an annual softball game between the NEAA and FONE was planned at the battle field known as The North End Park.  The same park where we as young men and women settled our differences in a “friendly” game of baseball, softball, basketball or football.       

The two organizations carried on their annual softball games for many years till our ages collided with sound reasoning and it occurred to us that this game was definitely for younger warriors. So, a plan was conceived for both groups to have a swan song and go out big time and big it was… 

A weekend was planned at the home of Major League Baseball in  

Cooperstown, NY. We all enjoyed a great time together. We visited The Hall. We dined together and reminisced about a cherished boyhood before ending the weekend with THE GAME on Doubleday Field which would give the winning team THE BRAGGING RIGHTS ad infinitum!       

Yes, we realize, at this point, the dynamics of the game are passing us by. 

The mind may be willing, but the body...  

So the stage is set. It will be our last highly competitive game, our swan song. Both teams are determined to go out as winners. 

Truth of the matter is from these ashes the phoenix will rise again.... stay tuned. 

Meanwhile, the following is my tribute to this solemn event.          

“Whos’ on First”

bus left at nine on this bright september morn,
destined for Cooperstown where a new star was to be born.
The ride from beginning to end, was dull and extremely, boring,
we were forced to watch video of past games, where they NEAA, did all the scoring. 

We checked into separate hotels and donned our uniform
then stood at attention posing for pictures taking by Dom. (Editor: Not our Web Meister)
Now we entered onto this fabled field readied for battle
When the grounds keeper yelled at us as if we were cattle. 

The game was upon us as we took to the field.
prepared to bend, but not to yield.
The first inning ended, and we are having fun
but the score board read us FONE, zero, and them one. 

The game was moving at a very brisk pace, 
and though we were hitting, we could not cross home base.
The time was now to make our move, 
inning six, was magic as we hit our grove. 

We scored runs one, two, three and four,
now let us just hope we can close the door.
The top of the seventh and the game on the line
it was now or never to savor “their whiny, whines”. 

To their credit they gave it their all,
running with desire when they hit the ball.
Could it be destiny, was the giant about to be gone, 
yes, the time has come, to pass the baton.  

AAH !! tried, as they did, they came up lame. 
and  now it was time to crown  new Champs, at the HALL OF FAME.
So here is to you, EVIL EMPIRE-NEAA, have some patiences
We are here, and here to stay, the F.O.N.E. NATION. 

September 21, 2010 5:40 PM
NEAA     2
FONE     4

                                             © Ronald P. Fuccillo 2010

Post Scripts
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God bless!
Be good.
Be well.
Love you.