Charlie's Comments3rd edition

This is a page in which Charlie Knight comments on items & events.
October 01, 2002 to The Present.

June 12, Saturday, AD 2004 Update this website again

All things changed, will be in Berkshire with a friend who is in trouble.

Check the new schedual for this Summer..

I will be in Boston a good deal of the time in the later part of June and then in the Berkshires a lot in July.

May 15, Saturday, AD 2004 Trying to update this website again

this is an attempt to change this website and I hope it works.

If it does, I will try and update this section again. Going to try and get to the World's Largest Pancake Breakfast
in Springfield, MA in about 30 min..

January 24, Saturday, AD 2004 Trying to update this website ....

March 1, Monday, AD 2004 Trying to update this website ....

this is an attempt to change this website form college.

January 24, Saturday, AD 2004 Trying to update this website ....

I have tired to update this website repatedly from college and from home. (Even T-1 lines have been used)
This is an attempt to update it again. I have been forced to open other websites. Do dontact me at
Cknight4u@aol.com or CKjohn316@juno.com or Springfield_Charlie@yahoo.com and ask for those urls.
Thanks, Charlie [home phone of (413) 732-7077, at work in the college bookstore, (413) 734-5437]
It looks like I can upload something today, so I will do so while I can. I should be packing things but it is so very cold. Check the college CampusCam for the most current images and temperature, weather links, etc.
I was so surprised on Wednesday night (when I emailed a vietnamese lady I know - whom I bought a bit faster computer from - wishing her a happy new year. Chinese and Vietnamise celebrate the New Year on Jan 22, it is now the year of the Monkey. A Bhudist thing I believe). At any rate I was surprised to find out that I HAD received a stipend after all. It somehow opened up and the honor is that I am only one of 6 community college students to be so honored statewide. Sooooooooooo when Friday I checked the e-mail at 12:30am after a very busy day of books coming in, I thought they wanted me in Boston for an interview and orientation session right away. This was at 12:30pm. By 12:45pm I was on my way to the interstate bus (Peter Pan) and off to Boston. I had bought an additional book to read for my C++ class. I read some and slept some and then rushed up to the Capitol Building where I was held up in the entrance search as I had the bookstore boxknife on me, I had rushed out so fast I had forgotten that I had it with me.

I saw the lady, Peggy Toomey, and found out that she had said a Friday in February would be good. I had only seen the e-mail for a moment and then it was needed for a bookstore buyback so I had to send a note saying I was coming and shut down in about 5 min. The long and the short of it is that I have had the orientation interview and now all I need to do is to tell her about 2 weeks before I can work and they will get a listing together and then I would go and meet with the legislators and a matche made. It looks like will need to make about 12-16 or more round trips to Boston for this and the cost is $40 per round trip as so today. Hence the tranasporation, unless I find something else will cost abou $ $650. But that is a small price to pay to be able to serve the people of my state and maybe help to make information available to so our legislator's make wise decisions at Budget time, which is when I understand I would be serving if I am there in April-May.,

I am so happy about this. I should be packikng things up today, but I am so cold and in a few moment s I need to be staring out to take the bus to Agawam where I am to serve as Lay Eucharistic Minister at Saint David's Episcopal Church. Last Sunday I was also elected as the Deanery representative from Saint David's.

I will write again, Lord willing, in Febrary. Next weekend I am off to Norwalk to read and judge Phi Theta Kappa Essays for the Middle States Region while they read ours.

January 18, Sunday, AD 2004 What a week....

I have gone to Boston to help in the degrees and have just been told that I will get to be an intern at the State House after all. They still want to see me, even though I might not have the Massachusetts Community College Council Union stipend to help with travel expenses. I did go to Boston and went over to Friendship Lodge in Belmont after staying at Woods Mullen shelter at night Friday night. I helped with the 1st and 3rd Degrees. It was such a joy. I also got a ride back with Mike Beauleu from Amherst, and he was just elected Grand Warden which is an office in the Statewide Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. I was so tired Sunday and I stay in bed most of Monday so I am not sick Tuesday when we go back to work. I was so proud of my work crew and especially Andrea that learned what to do and did the work so well. I could comfortably leave early Friday at 1:30 knowing that a good job would be done.

December 25, Christmas Day, AD 2003 Helping and hurting and helped....

I have been so blessed. As I said, I could not access the Tripod site and was forced to establish a site at netfirms to display pictures from a caroling event and also to test a website for the lodge (but the lodge site is in "limbo" right now). You will need to scroll down, but also check the link about our Christian Fellowship Advisor, as he was quite ill and I have not heard of anything since that last communication about a meeting in Boston with a Neuro Suregon. Speaking of Surgery. My double Hernia operation with some exploratory work will be performed later. It ws to be the end of January, but now it looks like the end of February or Mid March. I have applied for an internship in Boston in the Spring. I helped with the community based Holiday Meals put on by Open Pantry that was moved to Commerce High School this Christmas Day. The task I had was to stay out of the way in a back hallway and make certain that I did not allow people using the toilet facilities go down the wron hallway. I helped that day and the next to clean up and the sad part was when a couple that that worked so hard were walkng back to thier car and a guy on a bicycle came by and smashed thier rear side sindow out and stoled a blanket. We give out blankets and sleeping bags at Open Pantry, but this man wanted to steal. It made me so sad. Open Pantry had redesigned its website and I ask you to tak a look at it. It is an improvement, but is still seemes to have been created by a Microsoft product, so don't expect to much from the design standpoint and it is probably not 508 compatable. I had the interview about the legislative internship and it looks like I might not get it due to the double hernia operation now schedualed for the end of January.

I am back at work and I did have to withdraw from the Java class. That means my only hope to try and finally graduate will be to take Java again, or to take C++ with Lillian Beauchemin in the daytime. I think I will optfor the later as she knows of my extreem dificulties with Narcolepsy. I am trying to "hold on" until my Phi Theta Kappa Regional Officer's term is over with. The chest pains, moving of pain from heat to arms and hands, the breathing problems and the hernia pain make every day difficult. The Arthritus is much worse and I looik forward to going back to the family home this summer just to listen to the birds and smell the good air and not hve to be concerned with what others think about what I wear or say or do. I miss home!

November 30, Sunday, AD 2003 The end of November....

I have had quite a time and it looks like I will need to withdraw from my evening Java class. I have to spend every moment at the bookstore that I can to earn the money to pay rent and college costs. They could not find heart attack proof with the tests they took, so I have gone to see a therapist. That was a waste of time. All she wants to do is have drugs ordered and have me buy the drugs through them. I had asked for the reason why I chad collected so much stuff. I was left to sort all of that out myself.
But the fighting over whether or not to take drugs and hence no longer be in control of my own decisions continues. I believe I will just "walk away" from this whole experience at the end of the year. I understand what is said in class on Tuesday night, but after the Wednesday afternoon therapist "session" I am so concerned they will make me take drugs, be not in control of my thinking processes, and sign stuff I don't want to that I am all worked up and just can't seem to concentrate on studies. This "therapist" thing is the worst thing I have ever done and I just don't have the confidence and strength to try and get her to see the reality of faith that I know of. I reject the "me-centered" thinking that she is trying to ram down my throat. It is sad, but perhaps much of secular social service "professionals" have NO Idea of what a person of faith believes.

I did contact the Rescue Mission and obtain a listing of Faith Based counselors, if that might be needed. In reality all that I think is needed is some rest from this constant push to be active in earning the money to just have a roof over my head. Maybe the course of study in college is not the right direction for me to go in

I helped with the Holiday Meals at the Putnam High School for Thanksgiving and then went and was part of the Phi Theta Kappa participation in the Parad of the Big Balloons in Springfield.

I have tried to type this as an "update" as I was not able to access tripod correctly for at least 10 weeks.

Next up is a short recap of December.

November 09, Sunday, AD 2003 My Birthday....

I was up to South Porland Maine for a Phi Theta Kappa Advisory Board and Regional Officers combined meeting. The new Regional Director is Deb Fielding, from the community college there. Thanks to Judy King, our previous Regional Coordinator, for all her encouragement that gave the hope for all of our officers and chapters to succeed as they did. We understand that Judy, a cancer surviror, is now teaching three very demanding courses at her college and we wish her well.

I have enjoyed the Orthodoxy 101 seminars at the Greek Orthodox Church in Springfield and found many interesteing things on the Greek Archdiocese of America website. So when I did not get the ride back from the meeting in Maine a lady insisted on taking me home to New Hampshire and then bringing me back down to Boston the next moring to moring prayer and Divine Liturgy at the chapel at Holy Cross Seminary in Brooklne, MA. Oh I had such a good time there on my Birthday. I then went to a Korean worship service at St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral in Boston and then took the bus back to Springfield. I also enjoyed the Christmas retreate that was held with Rev. Dr. Frank Marangos, director of education at the Holy Cross Seminary, when he came to St. George's Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Springfield, MA. He also directs a program called the Internet School of Orthodox Studies (ISOS) and the internet classroom (this is a telecast in streaming video) is found at http://www.isos.goarch.org with more information at http://www.goarch.org/en/multimedia/live/isos/. The classes are taught on Tuesday evenings at 7:30pm, EST, in a classroom on the campus of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, and the telephone contact information is 1-800-566-1088. They, I am told, even have archived issues of past programs.

November 04, Tuesday, AD 2003 Still sick, not in college or at work again....

I felt better last night and was able to go to my Installation as Warden of Springfield Lodge # 235, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Amherst Lodge and Distrifct Deputey Grand Master Sam White and his suite (all from that Lodge) did a fine job. I was taken home and was so hyappy to get to bed. I started out feeling better, but maybe going out for those 3 hours was not the best idea. I awoke dizzy but a little better due to the medicines. I have told foks I will not be in college today, but maybe (if I drink fluides and rest enough today) I might be able to go to my eveing class in the computer language "Java", and then back to bed. I hope to get to the Tutor Training Wednesday, but maybe not to work in the moring. I hope to be able to work a full day Thursday and Friday I am out as I am to be at an Honors Study Day and then a Phi Theta Kappa Regional Officers Meeting Saturday. I am PRAYING that NO ONE I know gets this thing. It is NO FUN !!!!! The next posting will probably be next Monday.

November 03, Monday, AD 2003 So sick, on my installation night.

I awaken today sicker than before I did not go to college. I did not go to work. I tired and finally got into the clinic, and they said they would call back. Now it is almost 3pm and no call. I was not anxious to go to the clinic as it is usually about a 5 hour wait, and often then they say to go home and drink liquids and thta I should not have gone out to go to the clinic. I am to be installed as Warden in Lodge # 235 at Berkshire Avenue tonight. I want to save up the strength so I can go. It is a fairly nice day so I could even bicycle I guess. I have this phlegm and a headache and hot sweats and then cold chills. I have spend most of my time in bed today. I am trying to work on a take-home exam and even that has been difficult. Even e-mail is tiring. I am finishing this, but I don't know if I will be able to upload it well. I feel so ill. I was losing my voice on Thursday but the Phi Theta Kappa Induction went off well. Diane Hutchins, Regional President, made the trip (3.5 hours each way) from Upper New Hampshire to be with us. Friday I was at work but useless. Wesley got his car running and came down and I gave him the keys I had for him. He droe me around so I got some shoes for my part in installation of Ware Lodge on Wednesday and Amity Lodge next wednesday. Then Saturday I went to the Rescue Mission for Breakfast and then back home and stayed there and rested until 4pm and bicycled over to Church. I got a ride back and on Sunday went to St. Georges and then back home and to bed. That has been my life, in bed - I did not ever eat at the Soup Kitchen or do any shoping. I wonder about what I can do if I get so sick so easily.

October 22, Wednesday, AD 2003 So tired, and it is only 6am.

I awake most days so tired, I just wonder if I can remember one day in the past few months, or even years, that I have awoken refreshed. Last night I typed out a paper and gave it to my instructor of the Java class. He is a GREAT instructor and I am learning much, but with the pressures at me right now I can't seem to do the homework and even some of the readings. I just need to work and then get home and go to bed. Often there is not the energy to go to a meal. I have often bought a pound of cheese and had a few slices of that and a spoonful of peanut butter a couple times during the night and called that supper as I tired to rest so I could work the next day. Studying is just about out of the question. I have NO assitance for while I am trying to complete these studies. I fear my cum will be plumetting and I will be ejected from Phi Theta Kappa for not being able to keep up my grade point average. I bend over and get really dizzy and often can not walk without some sort of assistance. No test the doctors have done has shown anything yet. I go to see a therapist today and she wants to know something good about me. Right now I don't feel like there is much of anything “good” about me. I was given a tuxeo to wear for the installations where I have been asked to be on a District Deputy's Installing Suite for th Independent Order of Odd Fellows. An honor, but I need to get it altered by Monday. Tomorrow I should go to tutoring, class, Computer Club meeting, get the teeth, attend and help at a children's halloween party and go to the Agawam Encampment meeting. As we all know, charlie does nothing down here but “be a leach on society”.

October 14, Tuesday, AD 2003 So tired, so much thrown out. .!!

I awoke so tired,I have thrown out about 55 boxes of belongings. I had to miss time at work as I could not get the bus in. I got to college late for my Java Class, which I am not doing well in. There are so many pressures on me right now that I don't seem to be doing well.. Later I plan to return home and go at the homework again. Please pray for me as I seek God's direction and attempt to finish college work towards a Web Programing Assoicates Degree, however I am beginning now to wonder if I can ever finish that degree.

October 05, Sunday, AD 2003 Awoke tired, and at 7am.!!

I awoke so tired, but got to the computer and sent a web based request to acomdata about the 120GB Hard Drive I bought yesterday asking if I can use it on my iMacDV400 runing OS8.6 or not. Then I went to writing this page. In about an hour or so I want to go to see his Eminence, Metropolitan Methodios of Boston, MA as he comes to St. George's Greek Orthodox Church for a Pastoral Visit. I did not sign up for the dinner that will follow, but the proceeds from thos ticket sales will go toward the purchase of an icon for the new iconostasion at the chapel at the Camp and Retreat Cener in New Hampshire. His Eminence is also busy seekng funds to build a new lodge on the grounds of the Retreat Center. It is a big even when an overseer of the church come to town, and in this case I want to be present to see if there is any special change in the way things are done. It is now almost 7:30, I want to bring a book and be at that cathedral church by about 8:30am so I can get a seat and be blessed fully by what I see. I think the church will be crowded. Later I plan to return home and go at the homework again. Please pray for me as I seek God's direction and attempt to finish college work towards a Web Programing Assoicates Degree.

October 04, Saturday, AD 2003 Still so tired, rested most of the day, then bought a drive!!

I should have done more, but I was so tired I could not even get up to the college to use the labs. I rested all day (except for Breakfast at the Rescue Mission where I saw the dirctor and chatted with him. I wonder if I could somehow become a member of thier board of directors. I really like the work the Springfield Rescue Mission does, and Ron Willoughby, thier Executive Director. As I said, this tiredness came over me again and I spent most of the day in bed and at the computer searching for a hard drive. Comp USA seemed to have a deal in a 120GB Hard Drive from acomdata. I took stuff from the web and put it in a word document and then printed it out. I also made a letter for the church(St. David's in Agawasm)and had a friend of mine look at it who had been on the last search community. Then I put it in our Junior Warden's mailbox. This was in response to the letter that had come form the church asking if I was staying with St. David's after the decision by the national church to accept an openly homosexual (better read hetrophobic) bishop in New Hampshire. My letter said I would fulfill my duties throuh the year. I can not promise much past then as I do not even know if I will be in the Springfield area. Larry White, a consultant I trust, was in church as we are sending our Saturday supply priest of the past many months to a meeting in Texas, (Actually I think Larry is heading up the effort) to address this issue of what is Biblically true and what we will and will NOT accept from the bishops. In this case, I feel the church (meaning the people of God) will NOT accept this decision that I feel is contrary to scripture. This would be my last time serving with Fr. Dee Bright, and I will miss this wonderful man of God. Larry brought me back to Springfield and I was able to catch the PVTA bus to CompUSA near the Holyoke mall. I bought the External Hard Drive but when I got it home it seemed to say that I could not use it on my imacDV400 that is runing OS 8.6. While traveling on my way to catch the bus I went to Barnes & Nobels and bought a QuicStart book on Java2. I need all the help I can get in that class as well. It is so hard for me to study these days. I ate a McDonald's cheesburger on the way up to the mall. I ate two sandwiches at night and then passed out. I am, it seems, so tired lately.

October 03, Friday, AD 2003 So tired, it comes upon me all of a sudden!!

I should code things, but I can't seem to do anything. Now we have heard that before haven't we. But it is true. I bought a zip disk to put things on or at least be able to download a few images on from this past summer, and right now I don't know if I can do this. I will do some e-mail and try and type the code I started working at when I went to the soup kitchen. It had been a day that I had much trouble getting to work and also in standing up. I was so dizzy, but the Therapist thinks she wants me to see a Psychiatrist so he can order drugs for me. I don't want to just take "happy drugs" and I fear that they are missing the point of why I went to them. Wes Carr is trying to talk to me over Instant Messanger so I will talk with him soon. I was talking with Diane Hutchins, our Phi Theta Kappa Regional President just a few hours ago that way. She is in New Hampshire. I hope to go to the Rescue Mission for Breakfast Saturday and then in the afternoon I need to get to Saint David's where I will serve as Lay Eucharistic Minister assiting Father Dee Bright. We get a new Priest in Charge the 18th of October.

October 02, Thursday, AD 2003 Helping a lady get internet access!!

I should have been at the Student Activities center for a meeting, but I had thought it was next Tuesday, and so I did not represent the Christian Fellowship after all. I had wanted to be selected as "all-clubs liason", but that was not to be. A friend Rick go that position and I am certain he will do a great job. It was nice working with the lady and it reminded me of how much I enjoyed being with a woman. She has two children and it was a joy to interact with them when they came home from school. The woman and I left for college and somone was staying with her children while she was in school I hope the internet access through Juno we established will be good for her. I did not get to work and my class time I got some help from another student as the instructor was out. I hope the teacher is not sick. o email me at Cknight4u@aol.com or through my Juno account that I do not look at often at CKjohn316@juno.com. After eating at the soup kitchen Steve Wine and brought some things back to the Jefferson Street Women and Family shelter and then went to Amity Lodge and helped go through mor stuff of Wesley's. We are trying to consolodate stuff so we can get it at least back to my family's home in the Berkshires as Wes is living in New York state right now, but who knows, he might try and move back to Lee, MA I was so tired tonight that I coudl hardly sleep.

October 01, Wednesday, AD 2003 So tired, an yet today is Therapy-Day!!

I should code things, but I can't seem to do anything. I had so many narcoleptic episodes and I can't do much these days, I am going to be so glad to see the Therapsit today. I am having so much dificulty and the tests do not show any conclusive heart propblems that I am now looking at my head. When I cam back from U.Mass I found that I had been hoarding things. I immediately got in contact with the folks at Open Door Social Services and they arrainged for me to go to Community Services Institute and I will be seeing a Therapist called Jackie. I saw her last week. I hate to admit this, but I mus try all avenews. I can understand something in class, and then not understand it 30 min. after the class has ended. I can read and understand a subject, and yet the next day it seems I need to relearn it again. I am seeking whatever help I can get. I am NOT willng to just quietly go to a rocking chair at a "home", I have much more to do than that. I have run out of clean clothes and no time to wash, so I will attempt to wear the Phi Theta Kappa shirt and do laundry tonight. I will try and update some of September. and then keep up this for current items. Do email me at Cknight4u@aol.com I bought $20 worth of quarters with what I got today, but it looks like I will not be using them right away, as I am to tired and such and it is to late to run clothes. Maybe I can wash in the morning, or Saturday.