Your Weekly Antics, French Fry Guy and the Road Soda Edition 2/23/24...

Well kids, it’s Friday, you made it through the week. But did you? Did you really? Tomorrow you will wake up to February’s full moon, the snow moon, which happens to be the second full moon of 2024 which will also occur during the leap year. That’s right folks, in case you haven’t been keeping up, we’re getting one extra day tacked on to February this year, it’s a leap year, so buckle up and enjoy that 29th day. Full moon, Leap year, American’s landing on the moon for the first time since 1972 and Sue Burns didn’t text, noticing the Antics had yet to be published and were missing, all in the same week…now that I mention it, Casey didn't either...what the hell is going on? Here’s what I’ve got…

1. Let’s start with the Moon. Yes, this full moon will be looking down upon us this weekend and for the first time since 1972 will be doing so with an American made spaceship sitting upon it. So, if things get a little out of hand this weekend people, think about it…if you were the moon how would you feel if you were hanging out up there, minding your own business, talking to your buddies Jupiter and Saturn or whoever, waiting your turn to be heard for the first time in a month and bam, an unwelcome guest of tin and metal lands on you. You’d be pissed too. Look out people, this full moon’s going to be a doozy, and rightfully so.  

For more on the landing on the moon, click here...

Odysseus moon landing: Historic mission reaches lunar surface | CNN

 2. Admit it, you all know that the full moon wreaks havoc amongst us and if you’ve ever been in doubt of this phenomenon, hang out at your local emergency room. The ER, where you see all levels and layers of madness on a regular day of the month, is taken up a few notches on the eve of a full moon. I was lucky enough to witness this spectacle firsthand this week while doing the work of the people, and our local ER did not disappoint. So much material offered up, it was almost criminal.

 3. For example, booze and French fries. This is America people, the home of the free and the brave. The land where we are so privileged that we have the option to bring a full order of chicken fingers and fries to the lobby of an emergency room. The ER… a petri dish of all kinds of organisms and diseases, some known and some unknown, living on and attaching themselves to every surface around you. Despite that, you happily set yourself up like you’re in a downtown diner, to have yourself some lunch. This scene played out, much to the discomfort of my stomach, in our local ER on the eve of our full moon, but only after the next chain of events I shall describe. This individual, sloppily meandering his way to the perfect spot he eyed in the overcrowded emergency room lobby, bumbling into other waiting sick patients while dripping what I hope was ketchup in his wake, dropped at least half of his french fry order right in the middle of the main entrance of the lobby of said ER. One would think that any conscientious person who had any sense of courtesy, would have stopped to pick up the spill, but no, that would be expecting too much. This person stopped, picked up a few fries to put back on his French fry pile he was eating, and walked over the remainder of the spill. Didn’t take any action to clean up the mess, or cause attention to it so that the mess could be handled, he just kept it moving…

4. Free meals. When sitting in one of your larger local ER’s, the kind, over worked, underappreciated, staff who are handing out these meals to those waiting, are not wait staff. This is not a restaurant. Therefore, one would think that they should not and are not taking any special orders or requests that one would expect from the restaurant experience. Here’s a tip…get what you get and don’t get upset. This is basic manners 101 taught in any kindergarten and first grade class. Your meal didn’t come with your preferred beverage of cranberry juice instead of apple juice? How about be happy you were offered a free meal, smile, keep your mouth shut, and don’t drink the drink if you don’t want it. Or, toss the nip in it that we all know you smuggled in to the ER in the first place. It’s that simple. Be thankful and be nice. This is not your local Pub 99. It. Is. A. Hospital.

5. That brings me to the subject of beverages. Apparently, this is a touchy subject for some, who don’t feel the rules of society apply to them. You know who those individuals are, you’ve all seen them. For example, let’s call this next gentleman of whom I speak, Bob. Bob thought it would be a good idea to show up to visit someone in the ER with what some may call a road soda. For those of you who are not familiar with this term, a road soda is a beer or alcoholic beverage one conceals in a container not of its contents origin and goes about his or her business acting as if they are not out and about with an open container. As if showing up to visit your drinking buddy in the ER while sipping your afternoon beverage of choice is no big deal. Not only was this activity of the no big deal variety for Bob, but Bob was not the least bit phased when questioned by the extremely large security man who stopped him, asking him what he was really drinking out of that Dunkin’s cup. Bob was honest and polite, simply responding that his drink was root beer schnapps and whiskey, the drink of champions, and why couldn’t he take his drink to the hospital with him? Nice try Bob. Get it together.

6. What I will add to #5 is, Bob was courteous and had the decency to conceal his beverage in his dunkin’s cup. He also didn’t make a mess spilling it on the floor and then leaving the mess there like French fry guy did for someone else to clean up. Let’s hear it for Bob, always thinking of others, a man of the people.

7. If you’re seated near Sue Miller in a lobby waiting room, she is not the person to whisper help to. For starters, she’s going to pretend she didn’t hear you, or maybe, just maybe, even pretend she doesn’t speak English. Let’s just get this straight, if she does look in your direction, she’s still going to ignore your request. You need help, look around you friend. There are all sorts of staff working around who are being paid to help you. If they’re ignoring your requests, that’s because you’d done something to piss them off. If you’re lucky and she decides she’s going to engage in this foolish request, she’s going to tell you you’re barking up the wrong tree and you can’t flim flam a flim Flammer. Good luck and Godspeed friend, you’ve met your match.

8. I can’t say I know many people who get curbside blessings like my Mother does. One of the perks of being friends with and living across the street from Father Trainor for 30 something years is, he’ll stop on by to give you his blessing. Right there in the middle of the street. This is what being a good neighbor is, and what happens when you send the occasional pan of brownies and chocolate chip cookies across the street. Fr. Trainor, always taking care of his friends and neighbors as well as doing the work of the people. We love Father Trainor, a good neighbor and friend who’s always looking out for Sue Miller. #sharingthegoodworkcurbside

9. Fun fact. Yelling and screaming at the Doctors and Nurses in the hospital emergency room are not going to get you seen any sooner. Hospital staff with nerves of steel are resilient and have the finely honed skill of tuning you out. The louder you yell, the less they hear you. This is an actual fact. Do us all a favor and shut the hell up.

10. I had an epiphany while visiting our local ER’s this week people. Next time you, a family member or client get sent to the ER by a Doctor’s office because they don’t have time to see you, contributing to the over worked and over stressed hospital system, wait until the wee hours of the morning. Ya know, after you’ve been sitting in a hallway and are on the 15th hour, say about 3 am, and call that PCP’s on call service. Ask to speak to the PCP because you’re not feeling well. When he calls you, tell him you’re just checking in, from the ER he sent you to 16 hours prior, because it’ll take him that long to call you back, and let him know that you’re still there and were thinking about him; checking in to see if he was sleeping peacefully, or better yet when you hear his voice simply yell in to the phone…”How ya like me now?”

And last but not least, whether you believe in the effects of the full moon or not, know this. It’s crazy out there, C-R-A-Z-Y. Crazier than ever, so go forth and be a nice person. Before you blow your stack on someone working with the public, keep in mind they’ve most likely encountered 20 other rotten people before you who may not have been very nice, so be kind. One kind person can make up for the 20 other shmucks they just had to deal with.

Have a great weekend!