Yet another Escape from the Cold

How many times do I need a getaway? As many times as possible…

I’ve given up on staying warm – especially when I am outside all day in the wet and cold at least pretending to work. Our new garage is at a point where we can close it up and head to Arizona to thaw. I intend to warm up, rest up, and cheer up in the sunshine. I also intend to do some reading and hiking and napping and drinking – not necessarily in that order.

There is always something more to do but most of the time it can wait until I’m ready to do it – not always, but nearly always. And there’s always the possibility that somebody else will do it while I’m gone – maybe leprechauns or fairies or elves or menehunes… - I’m not holding my breath.

More and more I am accepting that I actually need more 'down time' than I did in previous decades of my life. Invincible ends at some point.

And I really do need to get some work done on the new book – with Tom my co-author. Maybe I can convince him to do all the writing and I can wander in the desert and enjoy the warm weather – now that’s a plan worthy of more consideration.

axman

Cold, Colder, Coldest…

…and more Coldester (OK, so I just made that up – but it IS accurate)

Ever since we returned from Hawaii in early December I have been cold. There has been an unusual preponderance of cold, ice, snow, and torrential rain this winter. I have been working outside nearly every day to try to get our new garage finished. It has been 50 years since I worked outside in the cold on a daily basis – my night job pumping gas while I was in college.

Am I cold all the time because of advanced age, serious disease, senility, being cursed by Trolls, or some combination of some or all of the above? I wish I knew.

Whatever the cause, I just can’t seem to get warm – and another cold spell is on the way. There’s a lot yet to be done on the garage, including the digging, leveling, and pouring of a concrete floor. That should help keep me warm, hopefully.

But all is not lost. When it’s done (mostly) we’re heading to the Arizona desert for a month or so to warm up. The downside? It has been unusually cool in Arizona this winter, too. I have concluded, however, that a daily high of 60 in Arizona beats a high of 30 in Oregon – by my calculations that's twice as good as a matter of fact.

What are your experiences with the cold? Does age or cancer make a difference or am I just a wuss? Be gentle with me…

axman

2010 and 2011 and all that Stuff

Tempus Fugit – it really does!

Happy New Year yet again. 2010 was a pretty good year (after all, here we all are in 2011). In 2010 I celebrated my 70^th Birthday and 50^th Anniversary (with the help of my loving and eternally tolerant wife, of course). 

And I am entering my eighth year with prostate cancer. I may still be crazy after all these years but my cholesterol, blood pressure, PSA, and weight are all still under control. and NOT going crazy. I’ll take that as a good way to start any new year.

Life is good, time flees (what tempus fugit actually means), and there are still pages and pages to go on my Bucket List.

Maybe 2011 will be the year of the cancer-cure breakthrough! …or maybe not. That's probably not within our realm of choices so don't spend a lot of time worrying about it.

 All you guys living with prostate cancer keep hanging in there (it certainly beats the alternative) and actually do all the things you want to do (within some fuzzy and probably irrelevant legal limits anyway).

axman