I finally get to join my family for Independence Day weekend at the cabin, seven or eight years after the tradition started. I was afraid being back home after so long would be underwhelming, but so far I'm still overjoyed not to be stuck in Phoenix.
Happy ? day!
maybe in the year 3185, sure
That's just the more accurate day.
Then let me be the first to wish you Happy Tau Day for tomorrow, too! 😛
Some of you may recall I've been following Brandon Nimmo's minor league career. He's the son of some friends from high school. I was pretty sure we'd see him in in the Show come September, but he got the call over the weekend and played in his first major league game on Sunday vs. the Braves. He went 0-4, but his second major league debut yesterday in Washington went much better, 2-4 at the plate with a run scored. ESPN had a nice write-up on his first game.
So, Pat Summitt deserves mention, I think. Unfortunately my interest is a selfish one and not related to the admiration that she's probably due. I watched my maternal grandmother and great-grandmother suffer for years with Alzheimer's. Pat was 64. My mom turns 60 this year. That disease is on the not-very-long list of things I worry about.
Both of my mother's parents were pretty well gone prior to their deaths, so I've worried about her for some years now. However, she's almost 80 and has outlived her mother (and almost her father), and is a sharp as ever, so one never knows.
We have been lucky so far. None of my four grandparents (died at 88, 97, 95, and just short of 105, respectively) had any significant mental decline until the very end. And so far, so good with my parents. But two of my mom's siblings had Parkinson's in their last years, and two had Alzheimers. I am hoping mom has avoided those fates. She's already had more than her fair share of health problems in life.
This is a road it appears we may be headed down. Dad has been diagnosed with the beginning of hardening of the arteries. Most of the time he's still okay, but occasionally his mind wanders into a parallel world. Mom repeats herself an awful lot and is definitely having difficulty with short-term memory. I guess we'll just see how it goes.
for the rest of us: Cleveland Clinic blog post on avoiding hardening of the arteries.
basically, eat right, exercise, and reduce stress.
Somewhat related: with all that's happened with my family lately, I've been thinking about people who seem to do well at advanced ages. It seems to me that one thing they have in common is that they not only stay active physically, but they also stay involved in the world. They're active in their church, or in a service club, or in a community group, or in something. Physical exercise is very important, but being a part of something and making a contribution to something seems also to be very important.
also very important for mental health. I was just talking yesterday with one of my political overseers at work. He's retired from long association with a major provider of intensive wrap-around MH services. His mantra: every person needs/wants to to be housed, engaged (i.e., have a job or avocation), and loved.
My experiences working with people in very difficult circumstances tells me that is a very good mantra, and would that it were easier to accomplish.
Paging NBB! I must've only been following the new canal construction superficially - poor design, failing concrete and insufficient water were news to me! Some pretty cool graphics, flyover video clips and photos accompany the article.
I transited through the original canal from Colon (Caribbean side) to Balboa (Panama City suburb - Panama Bay) and back on a Spruance-class destroyer during my first deployment in 2003, and again as a security team leader onboard a out-of-commission submarine on her trip from the American East coast to the west. During the second trip, we were in Panama for nearly three weeks due to op-sec (didn't know exactly when the oceangoing tug with the submarine in tow would arrive), so we got to enjoy the country a bit more than during the port visit on the destroyer. Enjoyment included a Peacock bass fishing trip on Gatún Lake, followed by a shore lunch. One of the highlights of my Naval career.
So Coot (older Bro) and I have been discussing doing the Panama thing, but haven't done it yet. I've been there twice in the last 15 yrs but he hasn't. I'd love to walk him around the old haunts in Albrook AFB...
Did ceviche this last weekend - grouper - nicely played.
I've read about the shoddy construction, etc. in the Panamax proj. - we'll see how that turns up.
I'm not in any way sad for the Yankees losing, but it seems bonkers to have a 3.5-hour delay in the 9th inning that results in the game being finished well after 2AM. When a game is that close to being finished, I don't see why they don't allow it to be suspended until the next day even if the score is not tied.
I'm at jury duty waiting till who knows when. I guess I should be glad I didn't have to come in this morning. I think a lot less people would skip out on jury duty if there wasn't so much waiting around. Kudos on free WiFi though.
Well, I put my time in and got the good news that the case had come to a plea agreement. If not, the case would have gone on at least through Labor Day. I would have never been able to do that since I am an independent contractor but I didn't want to have to go through begging out of it and I'm guessing I would have to come back for another day of jury duty in the near future. This way, since it settled, I am clear of jury duty for the next 12 months.
The last time I had to go in, (in SoCal as well) it was a couple of weeks before Christmas, and ended up getting placed onto the pool for a trial expected to last at least 3 weeks. When the judge asked if that was a problem for anyone I said I had plane tickets to head back to MN in 4 days. She said "enjoy your trip" and sent me out. I assumed that meant I would be called back in again immediately since I asked out like that, but it's been 1.5 years now and nothing so far.
My parents will be in Istanbul next month. I can't even imagine how much my mother is panicking right now.
Istanbul is awesome - have them check out the fish place underneath the bridge over the Bosphorus.
Cynthia Lorraine (named after her Grandmother and Great Grandmother respectively) (aka Heidegger) was born today at 4:35 p.m. She weighed 8 lbs 12 oz, and was 20.5" long. Mother and baby are doing splendidly. And the Twins won, so you know this is a momentous occasion.
Awesome, Phyllo! Congrats!
Nice! Congratulations!
Congratulations!
Yay! Congrats!
Felicitations!
Congrats.
I was in the same youth group at Osseo Church of the Nazarene as Rick Lazerte, who's son is being interviewed about the damage done to his brain in a drowning accident in this video. I did not know this had happened. Rick is interviewed as well. This video is a couple years old. I believe Rick went to Anoka High School. He was a year or two older than me. I sometimes see him at church when I go visit my parents, though I haven't been back since their 50th wedding anniversary a couple years ago.