32 Years and Still Counting

These days, it is rarity to  find  someone working at the same  job  for a couple  of  years.  Todays  generation is constantly changing  jobs,looking for  something  different,  not  sure  what  they  want. Hell some people
quit so  they can find  themselves-whatever  the Hell that  means.

So when I  read that Cornell is  celebrating 32 years- it reminded me  how  much  society  has  changed.

For  one  person to  stay with one  job  is a rarity.

To find one person with 32 years working,  and still able to do  the  work and do  it  well-even  more rare.

I've  been at Finnmark for almost 20  years- I  can  recall a  number of staff changes- yet through all the changes,
different job  description  and emergency situations, Cornell has been steadfast.

He  has  been a  good  friend all  these years and so  I wish  to congratulate him  and  wish him  the  best.

If you see him walking the  grounds, thank him, congratulate him and shake his  hand- for 32 years he  has  held this place  together.

THANK YOU CORNELL FOR EVERYTHING

The Staff of Americana Finnmark

Because of  a  recent  hospital  stay-  I  have  been  confined to my bed- unable  to  walk-and if I attempt  to  walk  I  get   wobbily.

A  few  weeks ago  my  roomate  had  a  diabetic incident  and  I  had to  call 911-  The door  was  locked  and  I was unable  to  get  to  the  door-so  the  EMTs  had  to  break  in.

I  called  the  office  for  the  name  of  a good locksmith  and  to  have  either Cornell or  Billy look  at the  lock  to  see how serious the  damage was.

Cornel  was  able  to  fix  the  lock  at a cost  far  less than a locksmith would  have  charged.

A  few  days ago,  my  roommate had another  incident an collapsed  on  the floor. I called 911,  then  I  called  Debbie at the office.  I asked  her if she could send  Cornel or Billy over  with a copy of  my  key and unlock  the  door.  Billy showed up-the  result no  broken  door.

Our  staff is  great,  but  what isn't  known are  the  little  things, not in  their description that  makes  them greater.  There are a lot of untold stories  of  the  good  deeds our  staff have been  doing  in  this  community  for  years.

When  I  was  on  the  BOD  I always  tried to  do  them right with  each  new  contract.  They  are what makes living  here at Finnmark
so  special.
Remember this  when  you  see them- greet them  and  thank them  for  all  they do.

They are the greatest

Grow Large Beefsteak Tomatoes

I love homegrown tomatoes.  Having a brown thumb, I could never grow tomatoes, so I use to steal them from the late John Harrison.  Some  of you may have read about my tomato stealing exploit.

This Spring I received a plant catalog- full of flowers, trees, fruit and vegetable plants and seeds.

After all these years I thought I would try again.  I ordered a few plants, some planting soil and planters and decided to become Mr. Tomato Farmer.

The plants took root, and grew quite rapidly.  I was rather proud of myself.
On June 29th, El Derecho swept through the area- you remember the big storm, Finnmark was without power for a few days.

My plants were blown over and I thought ruined, but I restaked them and they grew to more than six feet tall.  Wow- maybe I have grown a green thumb.  Well maybe not.

Today Sunday October 21, 2012, I picked my tomatoes-- all two of them- one green , one red- the size of golf balls.  The red one tasted good- the green- perhaps I can fry it or make a relish-Boy I wish John Harrison was around.

Haunting melody

It is 8:40 Am, and I am sitting in front of my computer and watching Fox News.
I turn down the volume of the T.V.- am I hearing things. I hear the faint sounds of a flute or a pan flute- I can't make out the tune.  I try to  listen more intently- it is a mysterious tune- and it is  nice.

I do not know who is playing this instrument- I do not know if it is a record or an actual person performing, but I find it soothing and strange.  It is comforting and as I listen it becomes an escape from the news - I try to make out the tune- but I can't make it out.

As I listen to it , it reminds me of the movie "Waking Ned Divine" if you haven't seen it rent it- it is a funny, warm comedy with a beautiful soundtrack.

I do not know who is playing this music  in Americana Finnmark, but I want to thank them for some beautiful music.  Keep it up- for soon  winter will be here, and the windows will be shut and I may not be able to hear the music- but while the warm weather is still with us I will enjoy your concerts.
Thank you- whoever you are.

Campari,Bitter Lemon, & Torremolinos

I am sitting on the balcony, sipping a Campari and bitter lemon. In front of me is a small bowl of green olives, a plate consisting of some crostinis and manchego cheese.  It is hot, but the sight of the Mediterranean  Sea promisesan offer of a cool breeze.
I am in Torremolinos, Spain.

Torremolinos is a busy resort town on the coast of Spain.  The streets are full of tourists and locals.

The locals are headed to work, the tourists to the beach, for some sunning and tanning.
I am looking forward to a walk along the beach later-maybe grabbing a cup of blood orange granita, maybe a plate of ensalada russo and a hard roll.

I will enjoy the sun, I might even take a dip in the sea, before heading back to the hotel.

I have another Campari and bitter lemon,  take a shower and a nap.
 Tonight- I will look for a restaurant that serves a good paella-perhaps a Valencia paella- with plenty of seafood..

The town gets busy in the evening-and very loud.
There is live gypsy flamenco music, the smell of grilled meats fill the air, and of course there is the shouting of street vendors selling their wares.

I pour myself another Campari and bitter lemon.So good on a hot Spanish night.
Someone shouts my name-I open my eyes bewildered- no one knows me here.  I hear my name again.
It is my neighbor.
"Are you alright"

I holler back- "Yeah I'm ok.  Thanks for asking"
My neigbor heads toward his building.
I look around-  the music is gone,the crowd noise is gone, and the smell of grilled meats, gone,. What happend?

I look around, I am still at Americana Finnmark.
Did two Campari and bitter lemons do this to me?
But wait- is that music I hear.

I pour myself another Campari and bitter lemon.

BOD Elections

Once again, as usual, there were not enough votes for a quorum, so no BOD  meeting was held-
This means that at the next meeting we could have new BOD members who may be seated with only two or three votes(it happend once - a member was elected with only three votes)
This also means that new ballots may have to be mailed  to the residents(again) which comes out of your condo fees- (you see where your money goes- ).
If the residents of this community were less apathetic, things that have been put off(like the changing of the by-laws) and the election of a new BOD could be accomplished with less expense.

It seems that the only time the community gets up in arms- is when the BOD proposes a major condo fee increase, - see how many people show up at the meeting when this happens.

If you do not vote- you really should not complain.
If you do not read the rules and regulations of Americana Finnmark- and you are caught violating the rules- do not complain when you are notified-
If you do not like the rules and regulations and want them changed- participate--

Remember the old quotation from the 1960's- if you are not part of the solution- you are part of the problem.

If  you do not vote- do not complain.

Living on the 2nd floor is so much better.

I live on the 2nd floor in the garden units. When I first moved here I had a choice of 1st. floor or 2nd. floor.  I didn't think the 1st floor was safe-I worked nights- and was worried about someone breaking in- so I opted for the 2nd floor.

With my current health problems the 2nd floor is rough but  I can handle it.

  Today I discovered another reason why I like the 2nd floor.

I was sitting on my balcony and I was watching a resident walking their dog near the rear of the midrise.

Now this dog had already peed on a few bushes(I thought we had a doggy walk and a doggy run), but what makes me greatful for 2nd floor living is this-

I  would hate to walk out on my 1st floor patio, sit down and smell dog pee-- this knucklehead walking the dog had no sense of respect or consideration for the residents who live on the 1st floor of the midrise.
Thank goodness the dog did not poop.
The patio that was peed on is used quite often by the residens who live there, and is close to the pool.  I am inclined to think that those who are at the pool sitting next to the fence my also be struck by the odor of dog pee(Did I mention the dog walk and the doggy run).

Listen up people- dog pee and poop(and I do not care if you pick the poop up with you little baggy) kills grass and plants.
If you walk your dog stay away from peoples patios, benches and the pool fence .
Have some consideration for your neighbors.
Obey the rules.
And if your dog is over 25 pounds- watch out- read the rules- the dog is too big.

Memorial Day Weekend and Grilling

Memorial Day weekend is almost upon us, and most people at Finnmark will be down at the pool and probably grilling.

One of my favorite things about Spring and Summer is cooking on the grill.  I am no expert- no Bobby Flay here, and I do not grill anything fancy- burgers, hotdogs, ribs, corn and chicken and that is about it.

  Now I have had my share of restaurant hamburgers and none of them are ever as good as my own.
Ribs- I have had some decent ones,, chicken I prefer my own.

However, hot dogs are a different story.  I can not make my own- and most of the prepackaged ones are just tasteless and lack any substance.
I do  have a certain fondness for hotdogs at a baseball stadium- the cold hotdog at most stadiums go well with the warm beer- but that is a topic for another blog.

The best hotdog I ever had- was a Sabretts- it has a casing that not only offer a nice crunch when bitten into but sometimes it will burst open and then it offers more surface area to slather on mustard, sourkraut and sometimes, chopped tomatoes and liquid cheese- you know what I mean- the stuff in a spray can or even Cheeze Whiz.

Other hotdogs that rate high on my list are Nathans(not the pre-packaged ones you find in the store) or Hebrew National(again not the prepackaged ones- but the ones that Giant use to sell behind the deli counter.
 Sabretts are available through njporkroll.com-be sure to get the ones with the casing.

If you want a decent hotdog and do not want the prepackaged ones- try the Coney Island Hotdogs at Sniders Market- they're on sale the week for $4.99 per pound.
These hotdogs are big, have substance- and are damned good  on the grill or even fried in butter on your stove.

If you are not familiar with Sniders  Market you are missing something very nice-they have a very good deli- check out their whitefish salad and roastbeef- the best.  The produce  has decent prices, and good selection of good beer(including my favorite- Spaten Munich) and wines-Berger Cookies- and if you are not familiar with Berger Cookies- you are in for a treat-and other assorted grocery items not found in your usual Giant or Safeway.

So buy some Coney Islands- fire up the grill and enjoy- and those of you who will be at the pool- enjoy the day- it is suppose to be nice.

John Harrsons Tomatoes

The late John Harrison had a condo on the 2nd floor across from my building The late Ron La Count lived on the first floor of Johns building.

Ron and I had brown thumbs- we could not grow a thing.
Once- my friend Grace- knowing of my brown thumb bought be a cactus-there was no way I could kill it.

I put it out on the balcony in the sun- two days later it collapsed on itself and died- .

John  Harrison, was a miracle grower- surely he had two green thumbs.
Every summer John would plant tomatoes- and they were some mighty fine tomatoes-

I complimented John how good his tomatoes looked , hoping he would  offer me a couple- but he did not fall for my plan- there must be another way.

One day. I was sitting on Ron patio and we got to talking about how good homegrown tomatoes were.
There is nothing as good as a homegrown tomato sandwich on white bread with mayo, a dash of salt and a smidgen of black pepper.

  Pretty soon all this talk got us hungry-. I suggested that we ask John for a tomato or two- Ron said that John was visiting his son.

Hmmmm- I thought to myself- I have an idea.

Pretty soon Ron had a towel and I had a broom.
Looking around very carefully-I stood below Johns balcony and poked a tomato- it fell off and landed in Rons towel-By the time we were done-we had about 5 tomatos.- Dinner was going to be good tonight.

And it was>

Later on that evening, I went out for a walk and saw John sitting on his balcony listening to the blues- I gave him a wave- he nodded- stood up and said to be-"Those damn squirrels are eating my tomatoes-if I get my hand on them, I am going to make some squirrel and tomato stew."
 I laughed and hollered back at him-" You make the stew, I'll bring the wine".

Board of Directors Election

Americana Finnmark is once again having its annual election for Board members.
There are a lot of issues facing this community including some lingering projects (changes in the by-laws, issues with the replacement reserves, issues with the size of the Board are just  some of them)
Perhaps the biggest problem with the election is the total lack of interest that is demonstrated by the community.  There is seldom a quorum for the first round-  the result- the election results are postponed and no business can be done at that meeting.

The following month a quorum is not needed and a resident can be elected to the Board with just one or two votes.

So if you do not vote- do not complain when the Board does something you may not agree with.

The position of director takes up little of ones time-it is not a difficult job, and it offers one an inside view of the going on in the community.
On a personal note- I served on the Board for over ten years- I was, Director, Treasurer, Vice President and President-I had some good times and some strange times- but I did enjoy the time served.

So mail in your ballots and get involved.

Life is Worth Living

I am terminally ill with a lung disorder.  I am on oxygen 24 hours a day. Due to doctors orders I am not allowed to drive.  I need to use a wheel chair to get from my condo to the parking lot when I get picked up by my sister or brother to go to the doctors. I have been in and out of hospitals at least ten times in the past years.
Sometimes I wonder why God keeps me alive.

And then Spring arrives.
The trees bloom, the bushes flower, birds return and the beauty that is Americana Finnmark shines through.
I stand on my balcony and  look over the vast lush greenery that is Finnmark. I feel like a wealthy landowner standing on his plantation balcony- the air smells sweet, the cool breeze makes my breathing less labored- it is indeed a beautiful sight.

But there is one more magical  thing- baseball- I am a Baltimore Oriole and New York Yankee fan- I have many fond memories of Memorial Stadium-I have never  been to a Yankee game- but there is something about them I love- but nothing compares to the magic that is Orioles Magic.

They may have one of the worst records in baseball, but when they play there is magic- and it give me one more reason to be grateful that I am still alive.

The Blue Door

The other day there  was a package at my door.
No return address-I opened it and found a very beautiful calendar of  doors and stairs. It was from Lorenzo Wilkins, a resident of Americana Finnmark and an excellent photographer.

As I flipped through the months, the photo from September entitled "The Blue Door",caught my eye.

I do not know why it caught my eye , but as I stared at it, I could hear music coming from behind the door.
It was a woman's voice- I could have sworn it was Sara Gonzalez, and the band could have been Irakere, the solo trumpet was Arturo Sandoval.

I walked up to the door and the smell of  cooking hit me- was it ropa vieja maybe a boliche- whatever it was it smelled good and it was making me hungry.

I knocked and the door was slowly opened by an elderly woman.
She looked at me , then she glanced  up and down the street and invited me in.

On the stage was Sara Gonzalez, Arturo Sandoval on trumpet, backed by Irakere.
The room was smoky, there were a few tables occupied by some older Cubans, standing around were younger Cubans- the all had drinks, some were smoking cigars.
As I looked around, I noticed a table laden with a variety of Cuban food-ropa vieja, boliche, pescado,croquetas, fried plantains, flan and assorted fruits.

I was offered a chair, and a drink- it was like another world- people were dancing, singing and laughing- have a good time.
After the third drink I was getting dizzy- and needed to lie down- I stood up and everything stopped.
I looked around and found myself in my condo- in Silver Spring-
It was three hours later from the time I started  looking at the calendar= where did the time go?

Christmas Catalog

I  remember growing up how my siblings and I would eagerly wait for the arrival of the Montgomery Ward's  Christmas catalog.
It was heavy, glossy, smelled good, and full of colorful and exciting new  toys and games.

We  would take turns reading it, dogear some of the pages, make our list from the catalog and mail it to Santa  Claus.
We  knew that the arrival of the catalog meant that Mom would start her  Christmas baking- there  would be fondant, fudge, shortbread, and of  course the ever popular  Toll  House chocolate chip cookies.
My  mother would assign us chores during the baking, so we all learned how to make the various cookies, and it gave us a chance to lick the bowls and eat raw cookie dough- and we never got sick from the ordeal.
During this time  my grandfather-Mizzi- would get his Spanish Christmas recipes out and make mantecados- an almond cookie and some kind of a cupcake- He would make a big production out of it- but they were good.

On the weekend, my father, me and my brothers and sister , would pick up a live Christmas tree- no fake tree for us- and we would carry it home- my father did not drive and in our early years we did not have a car- so we would drag the tree about a mile to our apartment.
The tree was still intact when we got home.  My father would trim the bottom and set up in the stand..  my mother would make hot chocolate bring out the cookies and we would spends hours decorating.
One of the most prize possession of my mothers was an  ornament that she had made during WWII- it consisted of blue and silver foil
it was not the most prettiest but it meant a lot to her.
I miss those days of Family get togethers- the aroma of fresh baked
cookies, the aroma of a fresh pine tree,  the lights in the window and most of all  my parents.
There was a magical feeling then- some people may say it is corny and those days  were  from another  era-- it may be true- but it was a time of happiness that one never forgets- if I am grateful for one thing during  Christmas it would be for my memories and if I had to choose a second thing it would be my Family and friends today.

Merry  Christmas  to all of you.

Herman Cain

Unfortunately for the United  States  Herman  Cain  will not be the President.
Due to baseless claims of sexual harrassment  and the continued barrage of negative reports by the media over some of his comments  on foreign   events he had to withdraw from the race.
The media was relentless in their attacks on his errors and or lack of certain foreign countries or the name of certain  leaders.
The  media acted the same toward Sarah  Palin.

It is sad.
Where is the media when the President refers to the  57 states of the United States, cannot pronounce corpseman,  doesn't  know what a pun is, doesn't know what language they speak in Austria, insults  our allies, and  for twenty  years   was a member of a church in which the pastor cursed  and  condemned  the  United  States.
I guess I am too naive to think that the media is fair and balanced- oh well what are we to do it is the way it is- I guess the old adage is true-"Don't  believe everything you read:.

Herman Cain

I am a registered Democrat.
Lately  I have been very disappointed   with the Democrats.
For the past three years  the government has been run by a bunch of mini- dictators who bringing this country to ruin.
In the next election we have a chance to  make a change for the better.
There is only candidate running who can beat Obama and restore this country to the greatness that we  once were.

That man is Herman Cain.He is proud of this country, makes no apolgies for this country.  He speaks his  mind and he has a great  plan that will restore this country to prosperity, lower unemployment, taxes and restore  the shining light that use to shine so brightly on the hill.
I will have more on Mr. Cain  in the  next blog.

Going Red Just to be Green

The idea of going green sounds good. So many lofty ideas that will save energy and money- what a great idea--however- the cost is high and savings won't be realized for many years.

One of the craziest ideas is painting the roofs white- to reflect heat and cool homes.

This might be a good idea if you live in an area that is extremely warm most of the year.

However in the Northeast and in our Midatlantic area it would be impractical.

In Maryland we have more cooler months than hot months- the heat is on for more months than the air conditioner.

Judging from the number of complaints from the past week with our temps in the 50's and residents complaining how cold it was- white roofs would probably have give these people frost bite.

White roofs in the winter would hinder snow melting- those buildings with flat roofs( Americana Finnmark) would be subjected to colder temps in the winter with the snow not melting and even the remore possibilty of a roof collapse if the weight increases from the failure of a snow melt.

Another drawback is the time it takes to warm a unit vs. cooling

a unit- warming your unit will usually take longer-(more wasted energy.

As for solar panels- they are expensive, the conversion from our current source of energy to solar is expensive- they are not reliable.

Geothermal is not practical in our area- we have the Metro running underground, and the problem of underground springs

One of the reasons the Forest Glen Metro is so deep is due to underground springs- we could not dig deep enough to get the geothermal energy we need.

With recent discoveries of natural gas in the midwest I expect the price of natural gas to be reduced- our heat is natural gas-so we may see some savings here- as for the a/c in the summer- if everyone had a dehumidifier in their home they would use less a/c.

An air conditioner is basically a large dehumifier- it removes moisture from the air causing the areas to be cool.

30 years--WOW!

This month Cornell celebrates 30 years with Americana Finnmark.

You all know Cornell, he is the guy you wave to during the day- the guy with the Americana Finnmark uniform- going from unit to another, making repairs, checking on problems, helping a resident.

You know the guy who comes out here at two in the morning when there is an emergency.

Cornell Smith has worked at Finnmark for 30 years.

During those 30 years he has had the opportunity to leave for greener pastures- associations with more money maybe better benefits-- instead he aalways made the decision to stay at Finnmark.

You do not find many people who work at the same job for 30 years.

You do not find many people who are friendly, helpful and will go out of their way to help you.

You do not find many people who are like Cornell Smith.

Congratulations Cornell Smith on your time with Americana Finnmark.

Congratulations on a job well done.

Thank you Cornell Smith for being a good friend.

Bob Fustero

Heidi Harris

A few years ago when I got word that Julie was leaving Americana Finnmark-I was concerned that no one could replace her.

Julie was very efficient, kind, and understanding.

She knew how to get things done- and she knew how to deal with certain residents who were considered troublesome or perhaps too demanding

Julies replacement was Heidi Harris.

I did not think she would measure up to Julie, but I gave her a chance- and as it turned out we became good friends.
As a past member of the BOD I relied on her for many answers concerning contracts, rules and regulations.
She was always quick with the reply and always had the right answers.
Over the years she had to deal with a major fire, a few troublesome residents, and the daily demanding routine of a job that paid less than what she was worth.

This year the staff did not get their Chritmas bonus.
Somekind of cost saving reason is probably the excuse- but for a staff that is underpaid. and overworked-- this is not how you treat them.

Today I received word that based on the recommendation of the BOD CMI fired Heidi.
In todays economy no one wants to hear this news and have it happend to them-but the BOD does not seem to appreciate the time and hardwork of our staff and their decisions have demonstrated this.
It is a sad day for Americana Finnmark.

Carlo Romano with Gabriel's Oboe (E. Morricone)

On a cold winter day it is so nice to sit back and listen to this melody and imagine a warmer climate.

A Slap in the Face

How many times has a resident asked one of our staff for a problem- such as a leak or help carrying a heavy object from car to unit.?

How many times do residents wait at the managers office door- waiting for Heidi to arrive- and without even giving Heidi a chance to settle in and check her phone messages and emails - go into a tirade about some problem- sometimes trivial sometimes not- but seldom anything that can not wait until Heidi checks in.?

How many people have called Cornel or Billy at home to complain about something, when they should be calling CMI.?

How many times have our staff worked beyond their normal schedule?

Did you know that our staff is underpaid?

Do you know that Cornel has had many chances to leave and make more money . but he has always decided to stay here?
Do you know how many times Billy and Cornel have done favors for residents, without compensation,?
Do you know how many times Carlos has helped people carry their groceries .?
Do you know how many rude and obscene calls Heidi receives on a daily basis?
Do you know that Heidi has been physically threatened more than once since she has been here.

We should be extremely grateful to such a great staff.

They usually get small raises- sometimes just the COLA.
This year they did not get a raise.
This is understandable- neither did most retirees. our staff understands this.

But we could have given them a Christmas bonus to show our appreciation.

Instead- the BOD slapped them in the face and gave them nothing..

This is very wrong-- very very wrong-

Let the BOD know your feelings.

Our staff deserves a bonus.