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Today is a cardiac test. It was to be a stress test but those are hard to do when using a walker/rollator. We attempted to do this recently, but the med tech took one look at me and said no, this would not do. So, we arranged for something called a Lexi Scan. It does not rely on my doing much of anything. Equipment and contrast meds do the work. Costly; nearly $2000, but insurance documents informed me it would be fully covered by insurance and Medicare. I do not expect the test to detect anything abnormal. Just aging and its effects. Likely meds will remain the same and tell the doctor we are good to stay on the current regimen. Can’t ask for anything better than that! Of course, each test at my age is pondered by me. What will it say? Must I follow yet another daily treatment plan? Will it be difficult or easy. Past experience tells me it will be OK. A new pill or two, or a little more exercise is all quite normal. Well, actually doing the exercise is the real challenge! In f...

Auto insurance is my focus today. Let’s examine my driving record. I’m 81. Two tickets in my life, one in 1967 for a speeding ticket in Chicago while leaving a fresh green light. Three miles over the limit and then only because I accelerated a bit too quickly from a stop. A ludicrous ticket for a young cop trying to meet quota. Another ticket for an accident I caused. One accident, not caused by me in 1966 when fresh out of college in a new car and still very new to Chicago and its congestion. Another accident in 2004 I should have been able to avoid. That’s it. No DUIs. Maybe two million miles driven. A very low insurance risk based on my record. But what I can’t avoid is living. 81 is a daunting age for insurance companies and I think they would rather I not drive due to age. That’s it. Ageism plain and simple. Not based on driving record or health issues. There are many insurance ads for much lower rates. I did find a lower rate by shopping intensely. Went from $180 per month ...

When COVID happened in 2020, we fought our way forward inch by inch. Pharmaceutical companies labored 24/7 to find a vaccine that would reduce the pandemic’s fury, slow it down, lessen its viral potency, and ultimately cure society of the disease itself. Scientists at many levels tried over and over again to find the one vaccine that would do all of this. We came close. The COVID pandemic is much less one today than it was in 2020. It is, however, not cured. That will take more years while the disease morphs into still more models that confuses everyone. Still, symptoms are drastically lessened. Deaths are much less common these days, and there is hope that many people are immune to the disease itself. I am 81 and came through the entire pandemic so far without contracting the disease. Rocky as well managed to skip the pandemic, and he had several immunological challenges at the same time. My daughter’s family household had it twice if not a third time. Same for my son’s family. Ea...

As age advances, mobility decreases. As mobility decreases, weight increases. Diet restrictions will balance weight with mobility if done with discipline. If not, the doctor and family tsk tsk a lot! Walking used to be a vigorous activity and pleasurable. Today, shopping becomes a workout to keep moving; same with moving about the apartment for daily tasks like getting to and from the bathroom, turning on lights, opening or closing drapes. You know, the movements of daily living. Now they are a fitness regime. Like money, too; fewer dollars mean restricted purchasing. We learn to live with what we have. We get by. We make do. A second trump regime promises to be chaotic and challenging. His mandate does not exist. The votes only amounted to a colossal electoral college result, but not the popular vote. He did not garner a majority of votes cast. The claims he makes on authority from a mandate do not exist. Every decision and executive order can be fought. The success of the peopl...

These are the big issues of today we all need to pay attention to. Recent election results tell us some things we did not think possible. One of those is the power of people just because they say things. If enough people believe them, change is more than possible. It can be the new reality. Whether explicit authority exists or not, changes can happen in spite of fierce opposition. Believe it. The biggest issues we face right now are: 1.       Social Security : this program is the primary financial support of many tens of millions senior citizens. If the program were to cut its benefit structure, these seniors would become financially dependent on other state and federal programs or their families. Generational pressures would loom large.         It is true that congress has increased Social Security benefits without appropriate funding over the years. Still the fund remains viable and capable of sustaining benefits. Because the program...

Here’s how the trip went this weekend. Made excellent time to Madison and my granddaughter’s apartment in suburban Madison. We had a great talk about her new job and kitten then took a tour of Madison. Eventually hoped to eat downtown at State Street Brats but could not find a parking space anywhere nearby. My walker narrowed our options. Turns out that heavy traffic both vehicular and pedestrian, announced the fact that UW and U of Oregon were playing a football game later in the day and that meant we went for lunch in suburban Madison. Took our leave in midafternoon and made our way to Viroqua where daughter Liz has a high school buddy in need of a reunion. We had a wonderful time meeting his husband, greeting, getting to know their two dogs, and learning a lot about the area surrounding Viroqua. Went to dinner at a sumptuous gourmet restaurant specializing in vegetarian cuisine. Amazing flavors from locally grown vittles. Oh yes, they offered some meaty entrees but only because ...

This weekend my daughter and I will take a short trip. Up to Madison, Wisconsin, visit with my eldest granddaughter, have lunch and poke around town a bit, and then off to Viroqua, WI. Daughter Liz grew up with this fellow who is now married and living in Viroqua. Should be fun to rekindle so many memories. I know Bob as well, and worked for several years with his dad in SCORE. The trip will continue Sunday morning with a short trip to the Mississippi River. We will travel the eastern shoreline down to Galena, Illinois. The scenery should be spectacular and the driving fun. Once in Galena we will head home angling east southeast toward home. Should arrive there well before supper. We will drive this trip in my 2008 Toyota Prius. Anxious to see how it does and the mileage it gets. Around town I get 44 miles to the gallon. I expect more on the trip. The car has 101,000miles on it but it works flawlessly. Everything on it works very well. Owning an old car with high mileage is OK. I’ve ...

The secret to trump’s chaos is simple; he merely hires a lawyer to sue someone. Then, he delays progress on the case until he can’t any longer. Then the case enters a different phase, and he delays progress on that phase. And so on. And on. He did this in his business. He did this in his academics. He was slow to earn a degree and then attempted other degrees. It is unclear if graduations ever happened. He had a $2 million gift from his father, then years later, he grifted his father’s estate and got away with $400 million. He bought and sold real estate focused on building new buildings. What worked he banked net income and asset values. What didn’t work he simply tied up in court or walked away without paying his fair share of the losses. And he did this over and over again. So now the shoe is on the other foot, and we need to wear it well. Do as he has done and continues to do, obfuscate by way of lawsuits that rarely go anywhere. Their value, however, is the time gained by de...

This is my reaction to the recent elections. I have posted two blogs before this one following the elections. Those were heartfelt and intellectually honest. Today’s post speaks to my feelings about the outcome of the election for the White House. Sending a convicted felon, an admitted misogynist, a dishonest businessman, a totally bankrupt academic, and a self-centered boob to represent our nation to the world and our own citizens, is a huge mistake. Oddly, this outcome is not about the candidate. Nor is it a reflection on the value and honor of the competing candidates, Harris and Walz. No, this is a reflection on the voters. We – you and I – elected this man to office. It is on us that he will assume the presidency once again. How could this happen? Why did it happen? Several reasons can be identified. Let’s look at some of them. Lazy voter . This used to be measured by how many eligible voters didn’t bother to vote. Today, it can be measured by how many people simply didn...

Youth. I want youth in our leaders. Throughout the nation, we need young people learning the ropes of running our country. Ethnicities, too. A fully representational span of leaders. That begins locally. Municipal agencies, county agencies, too. These are the levels of government we see and feel the most. And the leaders and managers are our neighbors, colleagues at work and church. They know us. We know them. The local factor builds trust. We can discuss issues with our locals. They can learn the why we feel the way we do about some of the issues. We can appreciate the complexity our local leaders deal with in managing those public services as well. Locals lead us to regional agencies. Regional leads us to state agencies. State government leads us to national agencies that comprise the federal government. I’m talking here about getting things done. Routine and long term. Longer term functioning revolves around policies that speak to our values and processes. These are not create...

Elon Musk is a very bright man. He has invented new products, new manufacturing techniques, even new combinations of technology to produce even newer products to meet the world's needs. I know this. I respect this. I celebrate it. But I condemn him for manipulating his fame and reputation as a means to change our governance structure to serve his own needs. At the cost of most everyone else. That is a primary sin that is unforgivable for me. Do good in the world. Do it for others, not yourself. That’s what the nonprofit world is all about. Evidently, the opposite is true for for-profit entities. It doesn’t have to be like that, and better if it isn’t. But hey, that’s just me. I think it is cool for people to look out for others, and even sacrifice for the benefit of others. I wonder how Elon thinks his way is good for the planet, the people of the planet, and even his own country. Being a success at anything does not automatically make you a success for governing people. El...

Oh yes. Only one day before election day. Tomorrow. Early voting is done. Voting by mail is done. absentee ballots are in hand. All that is left is election day with its in-person voting.   Counting the votes remains. That takes several hours but results will be in my late evening. We all will know the results before going to bed. The noise of campaigns should be done at that time. Well, there is a chance noise will continue. That all depends on who wins and who loses. The primary race is for the White House. If Trump wins, there will be hoopla from Republicans. If Harris wins there will be cheers for her, the first woman president, African American at that. However, with a Harris win comes the threat of a Trump fight to overthrow the results. The fight won't be Trump himself taking the action, it will likely be his supporters who will obfuscate facts and threaten the peace. Harris supporters will wonder at the disorder of such actions. Questioning the results of an election s...

November already. Christmas is just around the corner and the new year as well. But first we must get by the national elections on Tuesday, November 5 th . Many of us have already voted by mail-in ballot or early voting accommodations. Not only do we avoid the crowds of election day, but we can put our minds on other matters that demand few distractions. At the same time, we prepare for Thanksgiving Day and the inevitable discussions about planning the Holidays for December. It is a part of American life we all know so well. This year, however, will be reflected by the recent election results. From Washington DC to local municipal elections, who we place in public office has an effect on our lives in large and small fashion. This year is more pronounced. Will we continue our usual American democracy, or will it be subject to changes that will alter our lives? This is no simple question. It is central to who and what we are as Americans. If change is needed in your mind, so be it. I p...