I celebrated my 97th birthday the 25th of March, 2009, and I feel very healthy. I am still going to the senior center. There is a fellow who likes to play pool with me. His name is Nick Antonelli and a lady whose name is Gloria Marsala. She plays pool very well. Sometimes the center gives parties for certain occasions and Gloria does her part by singing. She sings beautiful songs and has a beautiful voice, too.

Once we were invited to a pool contest with another senior center so Nick, Gloria and I with some other people went and participated. Well, we lost and unfortunately we never had a chance to get even. We kept practicing in case there was another one.

Sometimes they have line dancing at the center and since I don’t dance, I get a chair and sit and watch and listen to the music.

One story I left behind and I am little afraid to tell because whoever reads it will say I must have been crazy at the time.

But here goes...

I must have been around 35 years old when I worked in Manhattan, New York, and I had to take the subway. One day it was raining and my father loaned me an umbrella. I was waiting for a train at the station. I got too close to the edge of the tracks. I dropped the umbrella and without thinking I jumped down to the tracks, picked the umbrella up and climbed back up in a hurry.

Today, at my age of 97, or any other age I wouldn’t try that again. I probably did it because the umbrella wasn’t mine and I didn't want to go back home without it.

I remember doing many things like that when I was younger. I have a good memory so every time I remember a story, I will write it down.

Sometimes Nick comes to visit me. One day he came and gave me a ride in his car to the beach since its so close to where I live. He took me to the Hewlett Yacht Club where all the boat owners get together. It's a very nice place by the beach of Hewlett. I used to walk there in a few minutes. There is also a park for little children and is very safe for them.

Short Story on My Gymnastic Day

On the sixth day in the Army, I was watching a few men doing back flips. One of the men came to me and asked me if I wanted to learn how to flip backwards so I said yes and that I would like to try. First, he held me by my belt and told me to flip and turn my body back at the same time. Well, I did what he said, but landed on the ground hitting my wrist and leg. I felt a sharp pain. I was brought to the hospital in an ambulance. My knee began to swell up immediately and the doctor took a needle and extracted liquid from my knee. I was okay after that and walked back to the camp!

ROOSTER

Once I went to visit my friends in Florida and while I was there I also went to see my younger brother, Harry. My niece, Cathy, was there and I was telling her a few stories. One of them was about a rooster. I sent her a copy of my stories and she reminded me about that story, and told me that I should tell the story here, so here it is.