The Writer's Life: The Writer's Life 12/22

NFL: The Jets have a golden opportunity vs. the Pats at home this week. New England has been bitten by the injury bug, especially at WR. RB Stephen Jackson, who has been idle all season, is expected to sign with them. No one will be surprised if he puts up big numbers. Belichick will plug him in and Jackson will deliver as has just about everyone who has donned the team’s uniform the past decade… The Steelers look like the team to beat in the AFC, although they will have to run the table as a wild card, which is not unprecedented anymore… Hail to the Redskins and QB Kirk Cousins, who have improved markedly… The Seahawks did what they had to do by defeating the Browns, but the win gives no indication of whether they are back among the elite. I wouldn’t want to draw them in the first round of the playoffs, however… There are two show and tell games this weekend: the Packers at Arizona and the Bengals at Denver… If there were an award for most exasperating team, the Giants would be the unanimous selection. How sad that a great talent like OBJ is a complete jerk… I have only one thing against the city of Buffalo and its football team -- their blowhard coach. It’s satisfying to see Rex Ryan eliminated from the post season.

12 of 23 health insurance co-ops will have failed by January 1st -- despite government subsidies.

By now you’ve heard that in Saturday’s debate Hillary said Donald Trump is being used as a recruiting tool in ISIS videos. According to WOR radio talk show host Mark Simone, the latest video uses pictures of Obama, Kerry and Bill Clinton, and none of the Donald.

My sister and I made the annual pilgrimage to the fish shop at 18th Av. & 85th St.. The line wasn't long, so I didn't have to worry about her getting soaked standing in the rain. Since she's lost her voice, which has been reduced to a whisper, she brought along a list made out by my third youngest niece, Luci. Still, there were communication problems. I parked the car in the CVS lot nearby, bought a Snapple, and put the bag and receipt on the driver's seat so the car wouldn't be towed or have one of those big stickers put on one of the windows. I got to the store just as my sister's turn came up. She handed the gentleman behind the counter the list and there was immediately a problem. He assumed the number beside the calamari meant six pounds. It was a few minutes before I realized it meant six pieces. After that, the transaction was pretty smooth. The bill for eleven items came to $139. I thanked the man for his patience, and he gently told my sister she should be making her kids do her chores. The two living in the old house are both working. From there we headed to Frank and Sal's, five blocks away, where we picked up the tagliatelle my niece had neglected to include in the order delivered on Saturday, most of which will cover the meal on Christmas day, when we'll be joined by my youngest niece, her husband and daughter. Her son has returned to the University of Kentucky, where he is an avid fan of the basketball team, which has a game on campus the 26th. I'm not happy that he has chosen to forgo being with family on the holiday, but I didn't say anything. I reminded myself that there were times I chose to eat upstairs alone rather than at the crowded table my brother in law ruled.
Vic's 5th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/okxkwh5

Vic's 4th novel: tinyurl.com/bszwlxh

Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3

Vic's Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tiny.cc/0iHLb Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kx3d3uf
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tinyurl.com/l84h63j

Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Vic's Blog: http://vicfortezza.blogspot.com/

Website: http://vicfortezzaauthor.my-free.website/