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Presentation Is<br />

Everything!<br />

I<br />

n our house hangs a small oil painting<br />

by my Dad, Victor Czerkas.*<br />

Crystal Czerkas-<br />

Sarbacker<br />

My Dad literally painted hundreds of paintings, but this<br />

one is quite different. At first glance, it looks like a Dutch<br />

city scene, but a closer examination reveals Montmartre,<br />

with its red windmill atop the famous Parisian nightclub,<br />

the Moulin Rouge. It’s not exactly a miniature but at 7”<br />

x 9”, it’s little. The surprising thing is its frame is quite<br />

a bit larger at 15” x <strong>17</strong>”. You would think the painting<br />

would be lost in a frame that’s almost twice its size. But<br />

it works because the area around the painting is filled<br />

with four wide mats. One of them is actually padded like<br />

a piece of upholstery, and the others are wood carvings.<br />

Because the inner mats are in graduated sizes, they look<br />

like frames within a frame. Amazingly this technique<br />

does not overwhelm<br />

the painting.<br />

Instead the<br />

dainty oil painting<br />

is enhanced<br />

by it’s elaborate<br />

surroundings,<br />

and any viewer<br />

intuitively senses<br />

that, regardless<br />

of its size, this<br />

is an important<br />

artwork.<br />

There’s also<br />

another bonus<br />

to this framing<br />

technique. If the<br />

painting had been framed to fit its actual size, it would<br />

have been so small it would have been lost on almost any<br />

wall. The only other sensible alternative would have been<br />

to group it with several miscellaneous items into a wall<br />

arrangement, where it would have been a piece of the pie.<br />

But in its expanded framing, the small painting commands<br />

attention, is large enough to adapt to almost any setting,<br />

and hangs in a place of honor in my home. Yes, even in<br />

the art world, presentation really is everything!<br />

*The painting shown here is by Crystal’s Dad, the<br />

award winning artist Victor Czerkas, the only known<br />

private student of the great Russian impressionist,<br />

Nicolai Fechin. If you have any questions about framing or<br />

my Dad’s artworks, please email me at Merryman2@aol.com.<br />

Want more info....?<br />

Call 702/463-0966<br />

Volume 14, Issue 4<br />

Marty Allen<br />

Adrea Barrera<br />

John Bielun<br />

Yvonne Cloutier<br />

Dianne Davis<br />

Chuck Dean<br />

Jan Fair<br />

Linda Gomez<br />

Ali Guggenheim<br />

Dan Hyde<br />

Mike Landry<br />

BJ Killeen<br />

Kathy Manney<br />

Kyo Mitchell<br />

Mary Richard<br />

Crystal Sarbacker<br />

Victoria Seaman<br />

Jim Valkenburg<br />

Beverly Washburn<br />

Devon Wickens<br />

Vicki Wentz<br />

James White<br />

A Police Intervention<br />

By: Dan Roberts / Publisher<br />

“<br />

You’re damn right you better call the<br />

police!” And with that clever retort it was<br />

“try me, I dare you” time.<br />

Regular readers are well-aware of my very special relationship with<br />

The <strong>Vegas</strong> <strong>Voice</strong> political editor Rana Goodman. During the past few<br />

years that she has been my PILL (partner in love & life) I have written<br />

about her various medial ailments and conditions.<br />

One of my jobs is to make sure that Rana takes her morning drugs<br />

and advise when it’s time to reorder. A situation came up last month<br />

which should serve as a wake-up call to all that you cannot rely on<br />

anyone except yourself (or your mate) when it comes to your health.<br />

My Ladylove was running out of her Januvia medication which she<br />

now takes daily to control her diabetes. She called the pharmacy and<br />

her doctor for the routine renewal and waited…and waited …and<br />

waited.<br />

After the third day without the medication, she mentioned the<br />

circumstances and the apparent lack of communication between her<br />

physician’s office and the pharmacy. The pharmacy (after you were<br />

finally able to get them on the phone) claimed it requested the<br />

renewal from the doctor a few times (so what do you want from us?<br />

they asked in perfect “CYA” mode) without success.<br />

Naturally, the medical office (after you were finally able to get<br />

them on the phone) stated that they never received any request and, to<br />

set Rana off, alleged there was no record of her contacting them either.<br />

With her frustration and (sugar blood count) rising by the hour, my<br />

Rana handed me the telephone to speak with the doctor’s office. And<br />

then the real conversation began.<br />

The young lady (and at our age, they’re all young) smugly stated<br />

that the doctor will get to it when he gets the chance. “No, that’s not<br />

going to happen” I assured her.<br />

I cheerfully informed the assistant that the renewal prescription will<br />

either be received by the pharmacy within 20 minutes or she would<br />

have the pleasure of my company at the doctor’s office within 30.<br />

She nastily inquired if I was going to cause a “ruckus?” “Absolutely<br />

not” I promised, “it would be more like holy hell.”<br />

She then threatened to call the police.<br />

As Rana rolled her eyes and walked away, I neither raised my voice<br />

nor used certain 4-letter words. However, my “New York attitude” was<br />

in combat mode.<br />

“Darling” I calmly stated, “you’re either going to send the<br />

prescription now or call the police. But I assure you, that either way,<br />

I’m going to get that prescription.<br />

“And if I receive it while the cops are there, I guarantee you’re<br />

going to have a lot more explaining to do to the doctor, insurance<br />

company, various lawyers, government bureaucrats, and the<br />

police. Think about all that extra paperwork. I sure hope you receive<br />

overtime pay.”<br />

Miracle of miracles, the pharmacy received the prescription exactly<br />

8 minutes later.<br />

“Who’s the gladiator now?” I exclaimed as my Rana picked up the<br />

pills. Instead of bowing down in gratitude and thanking me (like I<br />

really believed that that was going to happen) she just shot me her<br />

“look.”<br />

I’m pleased to report that her blood count has stabilized, although<br />

I’m still not sure if she would have bailed me out. But I might find out<br />

real soon – her other drugs need renewals next week.<br />

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6<br />

June 20<strong>17</strong><br />

7

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