Here's a thought for the day: I do have a past but I do my best not to live there anymore.

Good morning. It is Tuesday, February 11, 2020, and I bid a hearty hello to everyone near and far as they traverse the blogosphere. I did better this year. It was actually seen last year, I'm talking about going to the movie house to see one of the Oscar-winning films. We didn't watch one second of the awards show but I did see a list of winners. We, rather, I, am a fan of the 'How to Train Your Dragon' animated movies. And, we, the wife did tag along, did go to see the newest one called 'The Hidden World'. It won for the best-animated picture. See there? You thought I was out of touch with mainstream culture. I, for the life of me, cannot figure out why I like those movies. Maybe it's the story of how a misfit boy and a misfit dragon overcome huge obstacles to become heroes. I have actually watched them rerun on TV. I don't do that very often. That is, unless, it's a movie by John Wayne or Clint Eastwood, or it's one of the historically accurately depicted films. I've also shared my fascination with time travel. Therefore, I have watched many of those films as well. Maybe I liked the time travel movies as a kid because deep down inside I wanted to be somewhere else. Please don't copy this paragraph and send it to psychoanalysis anonymous for their opinion. Although, at this late date, it wouldn't surprise me what they might think, but, as previously mentioned, I probably wouldn't remember it for very long at all. You are right. It is a good thing not to be me. Go ahead. Feel good about it!

I again publically thank our eldest for giving me the laptop I use on most days to produce a new edition of my blog. It is convenient and efficient. However, it is designed for modern users of technology. That would not be me. I learned to type on a typewriter. My computer upstairs has a typewriter keyboard. Well, kind of. The laptop is flatter. the keys are recessed. It is smart enough to do what you tell it to do. Therein lies the rub. I am no doubt slower than I used to be, but, I can still lay down 50 words or more per minute. I tend to type in blasts. Sometimes, I blast out stuff and suddenly I have erased the blog I'm working on, closed the application, and the laptop is signaling it is ready to restart. Do what? Hello? It can happen in smaller dosages and fortunately, there is an undo function that can save me some pain. Sure. I could climb the stairs and use the other system. However, many times I am working on my blog in the early hours of the morning, therefore, I don't need to be in my office above the bedroom where the wife is fast asleep. Even when I try to be quiet in my office, it can be problematic in terms of noise. What would be a solution? Slow down a little. Thanks. I will take that into consideration and in the meantime, I will focus on doing my best to stay on the right keys. (Yes. I do use autosave but it cannot keep anyone from doing something stupid.)

Now you know why that on some days I feel like the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland who offered up these notable observations, "Oh my fur and whiskers! I’m late, I’m late, I’m late!" "I’m late, I’m late! For a very important date! No time to say ‘hello, goodbye,’ I’m late, I’m late, I’m late!" I heard all my life growing up that old people live out their time in a slow-paced and relaxed environment. You know. The proverbial rocking chair and hammock. This has not been our experience. Even after leaving the public work schedule, on most days we still typically hit the ground running. The other evening we met with some of our friends at a restaurant for a time of food and fellowship. One topic that always comes up: Negotiating the maze of healthcare options. I told them, my grandparents typically saw their one doctor. Maybe my grandmother saw a heart doctor or two. They were not busied about scheduling all the appointments necessary to keep the body going. How much time is spent today on coordinating these medical matters for older folks? Mucho! Testing that leads to additional testing. One specialist hands off to a different specialist. I'm not complaining since all of them holding hands together are obviously impacting both the longevity and the quality of life for the majority of older folks. My grandparents didn't know about these things. I can't say they were worse off for it. You do know what I mean. Right, Vern? May God help us to keep it all going. Amen? Amen. ....More later.