Broke Girls ’

Rest in peace, Jerry Grant

Igave up trying to write a funny column today and decided to once more use this space to talk about what is really on my mind. Jerry Grant, a friend whom I knew since the mid-1990s, died last week of leukemia. Everyone who knew Jerry just loved the guy. He was chipper and would always be singing and whistling.

Our running joke was when he would be singing a song, I’d ask what artist sings it. He knew that if he gave me the correct answer, my reply would be “well, let them sing it,” so he would always say he originally did.

I knew Jerry from the Fairfield Church of Christ on Fairfield Avenue. When we met, he and his wife Simone’s sons, Jeremy and Jordon, were little and at first I thought they were twins because Simone dressed them alike back then, but Jeremy is a few years older.

Jerry wasn’t a tall guy, but he had an oversized personality. I don’t know if I have met anyone else in my near six decades of life who loved to laugh as much as Jerry. Now, that’s saying something because, believe me, we Wades love to laugh. Jerry and I would always goodnaturedly clown each other and it was part of how we related.

I have so many memories of Jerry that make me smile and laugh. The church used to host an annual family encampment at Sierra Bible Camp (which sadly was destroyed in a fire earlier this year). One of the most fun parts of camp was the fellas playing a game in the pool we called War Ball.

War Ball was kinda like water polo, just much more violent. A bench would be placed on either side of the shallow end of the pool and a milk crate would be placed on top of it. The object was to use a volleyball to knock the crate off and score a point while the other team tried to stop you, using all the testosterone, muscle and grit they could. Jerry and I would be team captains and go at it full bore. He was not a big guy, but was very strong.

Now, the powers that be got wind of our violent pool game and thought it wasn’t exactly the best look to have the game we were playing at a Christian family encampment to be War Ball. We concurred.

Oh, we didn’t stop playing it. From then on we just called it “Family Ball.” I retired as the undisputed, undefeated heavyweight champion of War . . . er, Family Ball.

Our competitive nature was a defining characteristic of the relationship that Jerry and I enjoyed. We played board games, no-limit Texas Hold ‘Em poker (for chips and bragging rights, not money), horseshoes – you name it, we both came at each other wanting to win and then to boast of our victories. But it was all in such good fun.

I used to run a men’s group at the church on Sunday mornings and it branched out into an annual men’s retreat held in Somerset, which we called the Men’s Advance. It was at a place called Shenandoah West that had cabins and acres of property. Jerry was always the fire-starter. Come to think of it, he was often both the literal firestarter as well as a figurative one. What I mean is, like me, he was opinionated so we didn’t always see eye to eye and would bump heads and argue heatedly.

For years my wife and I hosted a Friday Night Fellowship at our home for the young married folk and Jerry and his family were mainstays. We would sing, pray, play games, share our food and share our lives. I remember one night at the Friday Night Fellowship when it was near Halloween. My daughter Kaci and I used to decorate our front door with Halloween-themed

Tony Wade images. They were never graphic The last laugh or scary or violent. I’m talkin’ stuff like Count Chocula and Casper the Friendly Ghost. Anyway, I remarked that as a kid we didn’t have special “trunk or treat” church things and wondered when that started. Well, Jerry had an opinion on it that I did not share. I conceded that, yes, a lot of people love to celebrate Halloween with scary and some may say demonic imagery, but I asked him this question: What do most kids think of when you say the word “Halloween?” His reply was Courtesy photo Jerry Grant and Tony Wade at the Fairfield Church of Christ in 2013. “monsters,” which I thought – and still think – was ridiculous. The correct answer is candy, hands down. Anyway, we argued the whole night and I still feel bad about that because a woman from the church, Amelia, had come for the first time that night and she never returned. Still, I never held a grudge or disliked Jerry. It was just about impossible to do so. Yes, he sometimes irritated me and vice-versa, but I loved that man. You see, he was one of those people who put his faith into practice. He gave hands and feet to what he believed. I can’t tell you how many times I went to some event and he was already there – always doing something to help. I remember at camp there were many times when he wasn’t the one assigned to scrub the pots and pans at a certain meal – and there were a lot and they were huge – but he would be back there washing away and singing his heart out while doing it. Jerry was not a fan of having his personal information on the internet and he is one of the few people I have known for a long time who never caved to getting a Facebook account. And yet I once told him that he may not have one, but he is definitely on Facebook. Over the years I have posted many pictures of him there and when I learned he was gone, I revisited them. Reliving the memories they evoked made me cry, made me laugh and made me grateful to have known him. Rest in peace, Jerry. You will not be forgotten. Fairfield freelance humor columnist and accidental local historian Tony Wade writes two weekly columns: “The Last Laugh” on Mondays and “Back in the Day” on Fridays. Wade is also the author of The History Press book “Growing Up In Fairfield, California.”

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Mask making your glasses fog up in winter cold? These tips can help you see clearly

Mike StunSon

MCClATCHY WASHINGTON BuREAu

As the weather gets colder and mask wearing continues as new Covid-19 variants emerge, those who wear glasses may face an unwelcome challenge.

We’re talking about your eyeglasses fogging up. It’s a pesky problem many people face as they wear glasses and a mask, but there are ways to prevent it.

Glasses fog when you breathe as warm air escapes through the top of a mask, landing on the cooler lenses, according to JJVision. com. The effect creates condensation and often occurs when wearing a face covering.

Here’s what to do to prevent your glasses from fogging up this winter.

Anti-fog spray

The first solution may be the most obvious, and there are plenty of antifog sprays on the market to help the issue.

But which ones are the best? The New York Times had five people test various sprays on the market, and they determined ultra Clarity’s Defog It is the best. A bottle that is good for up to 100 uses is available on Amazon for $15.99.

Other publications, including Today.com, recommend the Optix 55 Anti-Fog Spray as a “must-buy” during the pandemic. You can find a 2 oz. bottle for $9.55 on Amazon.

The products are easy to use. You simply apply a small amount on both sides of your lenses, then gently wipe with a dry cloth.

Soap and water

This may be the most tried-and-true method there is to prevent fog on your glasses, and it’s an easy solution.

But if you use this method, make sure to not use use soaps with lotions in them, lookOptical. com said. Dish soap will work just fine.

“Simply rub both sides of your lenses with a drop of soap, then buff the lenses with a soft microfiber cloth,” lookOptical. com said. “This effective trick helps prevent your lenses from fogging up as a transparent, thin film of soap acts as a barrier.”

Make sure to check with your optician to make sure soap won’t ruin your lenses, Cleveland Clinic suggests.

Adjust or change your mask

Maybe your mask is causing the problem, but there are quick ways to adjust it to make sure you stay protected and still see clearly.

You can tape the top of your mask to the bridge of your nose to create a snug fit, according to Healthline. Another one of the site’s suggestions is to seal the top of your mask with your glasses so that it creates a seal to block air.

The problem may be that your mask does not fit well on your face, so purchasing the right kind of covering could go a long way.

“You want to make sure your mask fits securely over the nose. With glasses, a mask with a nose bridge will keep warm air from exiting up to your glasses as opposed to other face coverings,” Dr. Aaron Hamilton with Cleveland Clinic said.

Adjust your glasses

If your mask isn’t the issue, perhaps you should look into how you wear your glasses. Pushing your glasses forward on your nose can help air circulate better, according to university of utah Health.

For those of you who have nose pads on their glasses, those can be adjusted so they sit farther from your face, according to AllAboutVision.com.

“This will allow that hot air to escape instead of getting trapped between your face and the lenses of the glasses,” optician Shannen Knight told the publication.