Pushing 65

My friend, Elaine, and I were sitting at my brother-in-law's kitchen table and going over Social Security and Medicare information. Elaine had her Medicare information in hand and I had my booklet and an envelope with personal papers. My head was spinning and getting bigger with all the Medicare and Social Security information.

Because Elaine was still working, I listened to the advice Dave gave her about holding off with taking her social security until she was 66 and if she did, she would receive 100% of the benefits. When he talked about Medicare, I wondered with all the health care changes, how long would a provider or company be able to afford to take care of its employees with the new Obama Health Cave plan? This was the first time that I was glad that I would be depending on my own coverage. Finally, after drifting off into my own world, I heard Dave say, "Now it's your turn." He began telling me that on Monday we could go to the Social Security office in Middleburgh Heights and I could sign up for my ex's Social Security benefits as a divorced spouse, and also sign up for Medicare. "Do you have what you need?"

I went through my envelope and produced my birth certificate, marriage license, and my divorce decree. "Yep, I have it all, plus my driver's license. I guess that is everything."

The next day we got up early and arrived at the office. Inside, we received a walk-in number and we were the second ones to be called into the office. The lady who would take care of us was extremely nice and had a dry sense of humor. That was what I liked...the humor. It helped. I have no idea why I was so nervous, but I guess I was worried that I wouldn't have everything that I needed and that I might not be able to answer all the questions. Thankfully, my brother-in-law was sitting next to me and gave me the support that I needed.

I signed up for Medicare Part A and B. Once the papers would be processed, I would receive my Medicare card within 30 days. That was easy enough. But at Dave's house, he went through the Medicare booklet and steps. I knew that I would need a supplemental insurance and I could get that only after I received my card. Then I could enroll in the Highmark Advantage Plan that I chose. This would cover my prescription drugs. We even called the Highmark number in Pittsburgh and got all the information that I needed on a call that lasted about 20-25 minutes, while even being put on hold.

After being signed up for Medicare, the lady started to work on my Social Security benefits. It didn't help that I had the same m=number and three different names...Mary L. Aiello, Mary Aiello Gauntner, and Mary L. Gauntner. We straightened that up and I would receive a card with the right name and my same Social Security number. As we went along with the paper work, the lady pointed out that I had to be truthful and if I lied, I would be prosecuted. Being raised a good Catholic and having all of that Catholic guilt, lying isn't something that I would do anyway. My brother-in-law kept telling me to relax. I did have all the right papers.

Since I didn't work enough quarters, I would not be getting any Social Security benefits of my own. Sadly, being a house wife for almost 33 years, raising nine kids, and working my butt off, doesn't entitle me to anything but a divorce, and being able to take Social Security benefits from my ex. I guess that will have to do.

All in all, I sailed through every thing. In a little over an hour, we were out of the building. I was relieved, and grateful to Dave for his help. I will get some money from my ex's benefits. I will have my own Medicare card in about a month. I felt happy remembering when we started off in the office that the lady looked at me and asked how old I was? She said that I didn't look old enough for Medicare. She was my kind of person. Even if I don't look my age, in 30 days, I'll have a Medicare card, and hopefully I will have my first Social Security check which will eventually pay for my Medicare supplemental insurance. All I can say is where did the years go?

Good luck to anyone who has to go through Medicare. I just wish you could have someone to help you like my brother-in-law, Dave.

Thanks, Dave!

D'Agnese's, Fire, and Lucky's Cafe

Cleveland seems to get a bad rap - like being dubbed, "The Mistake on the Lake." Or, who would want to go to Cleveland, or live in Cleveland, or even play on one of the pro sport teams in Cleveland? The Cleveland Indians won the World Series in 1948. The Cleveland Browns football team has never won a Super Bowl championship game. The Cleveland Cavaliers basketball team has never won an NBA championship. You get the point.

But I have to say that Cleveland has a tremendous amount of restaurants that are outstanding and memorable. I had to narrow my list down to my three favorites: D'Agnese's, Fire Food and Drink, and Lucky's Cafe.

D'Agnese's (www.dagneses.com) is located on W. Royalton Road in Broadview Heights. This Italian restaurant is in a small strip mall and is contemporary with an upscale wine bar. The restaurant is located close to my daughter's house, so I have been there for lunch and dinner a number of times. I have to say I love the lunches and in particular their fresh salads, especially the Mediterranean salad with fresh romaine, kalamatas olives, cucumbers, red onions, feta cheese, tomatoes, and oregano in balsamic vinegar. The Italian wedding soup is flavorful and hot with carrots, greens and pastina, and the most incredible tiny meatballs! My favorite has to be the Italian Reuben sandwich, which I usually share with my daughter. It contains salami, corned beef, sauerkraut and smoked mozzarella cheese on a Kaiser roll. D'Agnese's serves pomme de frites (french fries), or sweet potato fries, with some type of coating that is out of this world. The fries are not greasy. Their pastas and sauces and other menu items are also delicious.

Fire Food and Drink (www.firefoodanddrink.com) is an eclectic restaurant located on Shaker Square. The restaurant's concept is a simple one - simple food, finest ingredients, friendly efficient service and a focus on classic American foods. The restaurant supports the local farmers. Douglas Katz is the chef for Fire. He is young, innovative, and friendly as he makes his way around each table, greeting and talking to each patron, as if they were family. I have eaten dinner and had their brunch. I even attended the James Beard Foundation dinner that was hosted there a few years ago. It was quite an event. The Sunday brunches are wonderful. I have been there a few times and have tried their home made sticky buns, and wished that I had my own order, so as not to share it with others at my table. They were that good! I had their vegetable frittata, with Yukon gold home fries. My personal favorite was the Fire Benedict house made English muffin, house made ham, basil, poached eggs, and hollandaise. I wasn't disappointed with that dish!

Lucky's Cafe (www.luckyscafe.com) is located in the restored historic area of Tremont, under head chef, Heather Haviland. The restaurant uses local area grown produce, while even growing some of its own produce. They also make their own home made jelly from fresh seasonal fruits.The restaurant offers a counter for take out for home made muffins, cookies, scones, pastries, and coffee. Lucky's has been featured on the Food Network and Guy Fieri sampled the House Made Granola plate, biscuit, Baked Mac-N-Cheese and the Lucky Reuben. I have been there and ate the most wonderful pumpkin pancakes with homemade whipped cream. Most recently, I had their Vanilla Bean Buttermilk waffles topped with warm strawberry rhubarb compote, honeyed whip cream, and striped with house made caramel sauce. My daughter ate the Baked Mac-N-Cheese -cheddar, brie, parmesan, and mozzarella cheeses, baked with brioche breadcrumbs and served with house made apple sauce. My son-in-law ate the Shipwreck - a blend of hash browns, eggs, seasoned vegetables, bacon, cheddar cheese, served with toast and fresh fruit jelly.

After eating in these restaurants, the food leaves me with a lasting memory of all three.

Click open their websites, and if you are ever in Cleveland, you have to stop and try the foods at D'Agnese's, Fire, and Lucky's. You won't be disappointed - I promise you.

D'Agnese's has now eliminated the Italian Reuben, much to my daughter and my chagrin. :(

Writing Group

My Wednesday mornings usually begin with me picking up my writing friend and going and eating breakfast at Eat-N-Park. We talk about the happenings of what has occurred since our last meeting. Afterwards, we usually go to the library and focus on what each of us is working on.

This Wednesday was a little different. We expanded our group to a third writer. I'm not sure if this will be a permanent member but it just might be the beginning of something good. Each of us brought something that we are presently working on, or a creative idea. This is what a writer or artist does.

Writing for me is a daily occurrence. It is like breathing. I have to write on some kind of daily basis, either on the story that I am working on at the moment, or writing in my journal. Usually, I just go about my writing business alone. I have a lot of ideas. Those ideas might just come from my daily living, an incident that has occurred, or listening to something on the radio, or just being.

A writer writes, it is that simple. Writing is also a very solitary practice. I believe that I am a good writer, and that is why I write. Writing is my therapy but it can be lonely. So being with other creative people is a good way to keep ones creative juices flowing. Exchanging ideas is exciting and helps to trigger something inside of me. For me, writing isn't just sitting down in front of my computer but it is talking to other writers. It excites me to hear what the other person is working on, or exchanging ideas and advice. Talking about writing or ideas is what a writer needs to keep their writing going forward. Having someone help you when you get stumped or when you hit a writer's block is a blessing. Having someone read your writing and give you that helpful feedback is wonderful, even if you don't follow it exactly.

I am lucky because I email daily to my blogging partner. She is another source of inspiration to me. I know that I can bounce an idea or two off her. I value her advice, even though it is only by email. I also know that if I need help, I can count on her.

Writing is a daily job for me. But meeting and sharing breakfast and ideas with the other writers is what refuels my writing. I look forward to those Wednesdays, and it becomes so much more to me. Routine is good. Being alone is good. Writing is good. But sharing ideas and getting that excitement back into my writing is even better.

I look forward to continuing to sit in front of my computer and crafting my stories. Now I look forward to Wednesday to refuel my ideas, my writing, and sharing breakfast with my writing group.

Horses

I was listening to a radio talk show when the host went on about the new movie Secretariat that would be coming out soon. The host mentioned the number of books and movies that have featured horses. Then he asked, "Why are there so many books and movies about horses?" Without answering that question, he continued on about the fantastic Miracle on Ice, where the American men won the gold medal for hockey at the 1960 Olympics. He added that this was a great game and a great win and only one book and one movie had been written about it. Actually, he was wrong about there being only one movie, there were two movies made about the Miracle on Ice.

As the host paused for breath, I said out loud, "Hey buddy, I love horses!" I always wanted a horse but we rented houses for years and were not zoned to have a horse in our little backyard. But, that fact didn't deter me because I still wanted a horse, and always begged my parents for one. For years, that wish was number one on my Christmas lists.

I have read a lot of books about horses - Man-O-War, Seabiscuit, Spectacular Bid, the Horse Whisperer, and others. The last book that I read was "The Untold Story of Secretariat, The World's Greatest Racehorse." So, when the movie comes out, I will be the first in line to buy a ticket for it.

Personally, I think horses are beautiful creatures. They are big and sleek and graceful. They amaze me. I love watching them race, although I don't enjoy seeing them get injured and having to be put down. Besides, wanting a horse, I also wanted to be a jockey. But that never happened.

My youngest daughter took riding lessons for a while at Bargee Farms in Hampton. The riding stable was out of this world. The horses lived in their own beautiful stable with warm wooden walls and shiny brick floors. The newly built stable was spotless and elegant. As I walked through the stable, I wished for one fleeting moment that I was a horse and lived at Bargee Farms.

I loved those early Saturday mornings when I took my daughter to her riding lesson. The work out area where she rode was in an enormous white building with an indoor riding arena. There was another area with comfortable chairs and tables with magazines, where anyone could relax and have access to hot coffee. Large windows surrounded the building, I was able to look out at the trees and sloping hills, or just watch my daughter going through her riding routine. Usually, I brought along a book to read but I always ended up going into the arena and standing by the railings and watching my daughter on her horse going through her jumps. For one hour, I was taken out of my old routine and enjoyed the smell of the hay, watching my daughter in her riding gear, and the gracefulness of her horse. Only on Saturdays at Bargee, I entered a totally different world from my usual one, and I enjoyed it.

What is it about horses? Like people, some are underdogs, and others are champions. I can only imagine taking a chance on a horse, and watching him or her become a winner.

As for Secretariat, he was the only two-year-old to win Horse of the Year in 1972, and in 1973, was a Triple Crown Winner. Secretariat was listed #35 on the ESPN's top 100 athletes of the 20th Century. He is the only horse listed among men and women and actually ranked ahead of the great Yankees baseball player, Mickey Mantle.

I can't answer - why so many books or movies about horses. But, I can ask, "Why not?"

High Hopes for Football Season

My daughter and I have been Cleveland Browns Football season ticket holders since 2000. Buying the season tickets was thrilling for both of us. The only thing more thrilling for me would be to have tickets in the End Zone, on the bleachers, in the rabid "Dawg Pound!"

I have been a Browns fan since I was a little girl growing up in Cleveland. I knew the player's names, their jersey numbers, and their position on the team. My first and favorite player was #32, Jim Brown. He was and always will be the greatest running back of all times. I always pointed out this fact to my kids (even though they are die hard Steelers fans). I told them Jim Brown just didn't work hard but he would arrive early at the field to limber up and go through his drills. He would leave late, played hard (without pads, because he felt that they slowed him down), and then at the top of his game he retired to be a full time actor. First and foremost, he was an athlete. At the University of Syracuse, where he attended college, he played football and lacrosse, He was considered one of the best lacrosse players. Brown was inducted into the Football Hall of Fame and into the Lacrosse Hall of Fame. He was a natural athlete, and an exciting player to watch.

I cheered for the Browns, Jim Brown, Ozzie Newsome, Brian Sipe and the Kardiac Kids, and of course, Bernie Kosar. How could you not love Bernie Kosar? He was born in Boardman, Ohio, and never wanted to play for any other football team, except for his hometown team that, he loved, and cheered for, the Browns. Now that is loyalty. Other players, owners and coaches should have that kind of loyalty. Kosar was the most popular player to play in Cleveland and the fans loved him.

I am not ashamed to admit that I was part of the crowd who intensely disliked the owner of the Cleveland Browns, Art Modell, when he traded Kosar. I despised Modell when he took the Browns football team and relocated them to Baltimore, Maryland, and renamed them the Baltimore Ravens.

While the Browns team was no longer in Cleveland...every Sunday some of the bars would show reruns of the old games to a packed house filled with Browns fans yelling and cheering their team on. A team was reinstated in Cleveland in 1999. There was a big clock in the Terminal Tower, located in downtown Cleveland, which did a countdown for the days and hours and minutes until the team would kick off their season. I still wear that "countdown to 1999 sweatshirt," despite the rips and holes in it. The team returned with the same colors, orange and brown, and the same uniform and the helmet without a logo, and the same name to the delight of all the loyal fans. The team was even allowed to keep their trophies, statistics, and all their memorabilia.

Now, like every fan, I can't wait for the season to begin. Like every Browns fan, who bleeds "orange and brown," I believe this will be our magical year to win. Yes, hope does spring eternal! It has for me for the past 10 years, and this season isn't any different. In August, I think, this is our year. As for the other seasons, I firmly believed that with my whole heart and soul, until the 3rd or 4th game of the official season. Then reality sets in with their losses, and I and every other fan express, "Well, maybe next year will be different."

My daughter and I still walk from the parking lot, next to the Cuyahoga River, about 15 minutes away from the field. We walk through the crowds of tailgaters, and someone always comments on my #17 jersey, with "SIPE" stitched on the back. We dodge the cars, corn toss games, footballs, and give hi-fives to the other fans. Then we walk the long walkway up the inside ramps of the stadium to get to Level 5, and then up the steps to our seats, which are about 20 rows from the top of the stadium. But they are at the 50-yard line. They are good seats, even though they do not come with oxygen and oxygen masks. It takes us a few minutes to catch our breath, but not so long before we sip our pop, tear open our bag of peanuts, shell them, and cheer when the team runs onto the field. I love the feel and noise in the stadium as the fans erupt in joy. It feels exhilarating to be surrounded by fans and my football community.

It doesn't get any better then this on football Sundays at 1:00 in the afternoon, during football season. Well, maybe a win would help us face our Monday mornings in a little better mood if the team logs a win.

YAY, GO BROWNS!