"Don't be sacrilegious," says shuts the Door of the Narnia
 MOUI. "That was a rerun o Witch Food Wardrobe, and
 an old Ali match.-It's a clas- demands, "Is there any mush-
 sic. Besides, you know I don't room gravy left over?"
 recall what you tell me when I go to the fridge and pull
 boxing is on." out a small plastic container
 by Lee Drury De Cesare "A two-year-old could finc of mushroom gravy. "Here," I
 that meatloaf," I snap. "It's say, thrusting it into MOUI's
 right there in front of you." outstretched hand. "This is all
 ol M "Right now I wish I had mar- that's left."
 C tL y o n ried Xantippe," growls MOUI "That's not enough," guoth
 Coun y f r Od M en "Socrates had an easier tim( MOUI. "I need more than
 Cormac Mccarthy lifted a Fish, flesh, or fowl, com- breakfast. getting Xantippe to show hin that."
title from Yeats's "Sailing to mend all summer long Since quitting mayor work, the meatloaf than I have." "That's all there is," say I.
Byzantium." His current novel, Whatever is begotten, born, he has fallen into unorthodox "Legend says Xantippe Get me some fresh mush-
"Country for Old Men." and dies. quotidian schedule. He rises jumped up and down on rooms today at Pubhlx, and I
 It's not good: best-sellers Caught in that sensual mu- at 4 a.m. to read The St. Pe- Socrates' favorite cheesecake," will make a big batch. Pres-
usually aren't. sic all neglect tersburg Times. God knows I say. ently, we speak no more of hy-
 ButYeats's line-has secured Monuments of unageing why anyone would read The "That's coming," says re- pothetical mushroom gravy.
its place in the canon ofunfor- intellect. St. Petersburg Times at any frigerator-gazing MOUI. "I can MOUI eats at the kitchen
gettable slices of our language. Translation: young people, time of day or night when the see the day when you jump counter in elegant concentra-
If you know the poem, you all species ofyouth, are caught telephone directory is handy. up and down on my leftover tion on the leftover meatloaf
see how often pieces appear up in the compulsion of sex But he is addicted to it. He meatloaf." that he has just pulled from
in print, especially in news- and reproducing and don't pay thinks the editorials are sage I resist the impulse to invoke the microwave.
papers, newspapers not being any attention to old men-even and that Howard TroxIer is a insult choreograph. After fifty Turning in post-prandial
given to erudite allusions as smartones, the "monuments of whiz. If St. Petersburg Times years, partners who survive charm mode, he says, "Honey,
a rule. unageing intellect." editorials ever demonstrated have reworked, sharpened, re- this is the best meat loaf you
 The first stanza says this: I know the poem by my fa- a scintilla of sagacity or Le fined, honed, polished, primed, ever made."
 That is no country for old vorite poet by heart. I think of Troxler whizzed ajot, I am chief split, divided, atomized, and I don't take the bait.
men. The young the opening stanza's last line papyrus scroll overseer at the reduced to-its molecular re- When we met fifty years ago
 In one another's arms, birds as my husband stands gazing 200 B.C. library in Alexandria siduals the jointly produced in Miami, my husband distin-
in the trees, into the open. refrigerator, icy that saved precious fragments vitriol ritual. Wisdom dictates guished himself from other
 --Those dying generations-- yellow light bathing his coun- of Greek civilization for an that a spouse trip the Hep- beaux by reading me Shiller's
at their song. try-for-old-men visage. ungrateful Western world now burn-Tracy insult wire only poetry in German. I haven't
 The salmon-falls, the mack- One o'clock has struck. He's invading Iraq to "civilize" it. for ceremonial occasions of heard a syllable of Shiller's
erel-crowded seas, up after the lark and ready for Having read the paper, this high pith and moment. So I poetry since I said, "I do."
 retired public servant goes wax wise and approach the Thus, we have the cycle of
 back to bed, where he sleeps frig footlights, pointing to the marriage for those with the
 until noon. He must sleep meatloaf: top shelf in the front stamina to survive and the
 until noon to rack up eight position in plain view. stomach for bald truth: po-
 hours because he has spent Silently, the MOUI puls etry at sunrise; meatloaf at
 the previous evening hours in it out with a contented sigh, eventide.
 his Stratolounger cocoon in
 front of the eternal TV sportstt P
 cavalcade, snoring ad lib. M offitt Hosts Poster Contest
 All sports shows are monkey The H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute,
 vomit to me. Now if one were through the State of Florida Cancer Control and Advisory
 turned into an opera-think Council (CCRAB) is sponsoring the SunWise with Shade@
 Nixon in China-- 1 would be- poster contest to be held in the state. All children in the state
 come a fan and even install of Florida, grades K-8 are eligible to enter.
 beside my spouse a companion The contest calls for teachers to encourage students to
 TS tratolounger covered in chic creatively depict skin cancer prevention on a poster no larger
 T pa B W tWhen 12 toll s, His Honor than 8 /2 x 11. Artwork should be original andraise sun safety
 area S longeSt-unning en tos, His Honor awareness. In addition, the poster should incorporate at least
 prmetime pubaic afi That Was rises tobreakfast to five of the SunWise action steps for sun safety including: us-
 pimetime p lic aarS eat odd, unbreakfasty thngs. ing sunscreen, wearing a wide-brimmed hat, limiting time in
 program, is getting a new Thi symtom of bizarre taste the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., seeking shade on sunny
 >in breakfast cuisine has rip- days, covering up to protect the skin and checking the UV (ul-
 name and a new look! ened over the last ten years traviolet) index daily. Entry forms are available at all schools,
 e in Fry n a 8 a along with other.eccentricities. grades K-8, throughout the state or can be downloaded from the
 Tune in riday nights at 8:30 and see First manifestation emerged SHADE Foundation Web site at shadefoundation.org. Entries
 what's new with Florida this Week. when he insisted several years must be accompanied by the contact form and be postmarked
 Join moderator Rob Lorei and a ago on leaving the Christmas by May 1 and received no later than May 10.
 panel of political insiders for a fresh tree up year round. Fortunate- Please mail all entries to:
 perspective on the issues that affect ly, it is a small artificial tree. Sue Middleton .
 West Central Florida. I wouldn't have objected; H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute
 however, had it been a big 12902 Magnolia Drive MRC 209
 spruce like the ones we had Tampa, FL 33602

 I am not a fastidious house- the property of the SHADE Foundation. Four regional winners
 keeper. Dust, pine needles, will receive prizes. The grand prize winner will receive a family
 both are the same to me. What four pass to Universal Studios, including hotel accommoda-
 harm can a continuing rain of tions. The state winner will be entered in a national Web-based
 pine needles do to a woman competition to be held in July. Contestants' posters will be
 whose self-esteem has never judged online by the public. Online voters will be entered into
 rested on her housekeeping? a drawing as an incentive to vote. The overall National Poster
 Prescience should have Contest winner will receive a one week Disney trip for four with
 warned that a permanent hotel accommodations.
 Christmas tree lay on the ho- The chance of a child developing skin cancer in his/her
 rizon. My consort had already lifetime is one in five. In Florida, the risk is even higher. Edu-
 been adamant about retaining cating children about the need to take proactive measures is
 The Manger in its permanent instrumental in preventing future skin cancer cases down the
 location year round. The Baby road:
 Jesus has been in continuing "We need to teach our children to limit the Florida sun not
 residence now in a prominent the Florida outdoor fun," says Sue Middleton, CCRAB Coor-
 place in our household for over dinator.
 Racing Dining Poker Golf ten years. The State of Florida Cancer Control and Advisory Council
 S *Is the Baby Jesus dusty? He (CCRAB) was created by the Florida Legislature in 1979 (Chap-
 is. So are the Blessed Virgin, ter 240.5121, Florida Statutes).
 Lve Racing and ker h od man, the Wise Men, The Council's mandate includes: Advising the Governor,
 and even the sheep. Wouldn't state Legislature and state agencies on cancer control issues;
 SMyou be ifyou had been ondis- developing a Florida cancer plan and allocating funds for re-
 Splay for ten years in the home search and demonstration projects that address the goals of
 of a woman not particularly the Florida Cancer Plan. The organization has recently started
 averse to dust? If you get down an initiative to increase sun awareness education in Florida's
 on your knees and look closely, elementary schools.
 one shepherd's staff has a dust SunWise is a voluntary program of the United q- ?r vi-
 plug occluding the crook. ronmental Protection Agency that aims to teach the public how
 MPA /IStanding in the frig's nec- to protect themselves from overexposure to the sun through the
 AYropsy glow of he frig, the Mon- use of classroom-based, school-based, and community-based
 ument of Unageing Intellect components. Information about SunWise can be obtained by
 speaks: "Where is the leftover visiting wwxw.epa.gov/sunwise
 meatloaf?" The SHADE Foundation ofAmerica was founded in 2002 by
 "I told you last night where Shonda Schilling, wife of Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling,
 .. 1....... I put it," I say. after her successful battle with melanoma. The Foundation's
 S"When did you tell me?" mission is to eradicate melanoma through the education of
 inquires the Monument of Un- children and the community in the prevention and detection
 ageing Intellect (MOUI). of skin cancer and the promotion of sun- safety.
 "About 11 o'clock after I In 2001, the National Cancer Institute awardedMoffitt the
 had put the leftovers away," I status of a Comprehensive Cancer Center in recognition of its
 respond. excellence in research and contributions to clinical trials, pre-
 "Was boxing on?" asks the vention and cancer control. Additionally, Moffitt is a member
 MOUI. of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, a prestigious
 e"Well, there were two guys alliance of the country's leading cancer centers, and is listed in
 on TV in garish trunks trying U.S. News & World Report as one of the top cancer hospitals in
 to rearrange each other's facial America. Moffitt's sole mission is to contribute to the preven-
 contours," quoth I. tion and- cure-of canger ... .. -

 LA GACETA/Friday, April 14, 2006/Page 13