May the giving spirit of Christmas Dawn on your Life

each day of the New Year

Taken with my smart phone, on an early morning run, up to a view point overlooking Santa Clara Valley

One of our alert friends observed that they had not heard from us this Christmas nor last. Because of our advanced age, they naturally assumed that we might be dead. Any rumors of our demise are greatly exaggerated – apology to Paul McCartney. I only plagiarize from the best.

When I was trying to find the attribution for that, I was shocked to discover that many of my original aphorisms were claimed by Mark Twain to be his. I'll give you two: “Good judgement comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgement.” and “We have the best government that money can buy.” I have also said that about our justice system, Congress and our medical system. Because I am illiterate, having read very little that wasn't scientific or technical in nature, I am sure I never read anything from Mark Twain containing those quotes. But I digress.

Considering the admonition that if you can't say something good, its better to say nothing, I chose not to say anything about last year. This year has been much better so I am writing this belated greeting. Lona is doing pretty well, considering her multitude of infirmities, and I am doing remarkably well—more about that at the bottom.

Lona managed to attend two of the 4 operas last season. She loved one (Madama Butterfly) and hated the other (Moby Dick). Both caused her pain and strain. We had to make the painful decision not to renew our season tickets with great seats this year.

Since June of 2018, when Lona began requiring round the clock assistance, seldom have I gone to the Y to lift weights. I had to limit my training runs to about 15 – 30 minutes at a time. I have not played a round of golf nor gone on a bike ride. It's all good. That has spared me having to get up in the dark for an early tee time, and it spared me possible death from getting run over while on my bike. With Lona depending on me for her care, I can no longer take that risk. I did, after all, survive being side swiped and knocked down by a hit-and-run car turning left through a red light in 2018. My bike buddy was right behind me and called 911. I wish he had gotten the license number instead. Soon, half the county's emergency equipment was there and most of their EMT personnel were hovering over me and taking tests. They wanted me to get into an ambulance and take me to a hospital, but I said, “No, I'm OK.” I then climbed onto my unharmed bike and pedaled home.

With so much of my exercise regimen gone, I got pretty out of shape. In Dec. of 2018, I hired a caregiver 3X/week to assist Lona so I can train hard with friends and go have coffee or breakfast after. All during 2019 I got faster and faster culminating on Labor day with my second win of my running club's Handicap Race. All you need to know about this can be found on this page from the website I created for my high school class after their 60^th reunion in 2018. Lona and I did not get to go to this reunion which is also one of the downers from 2018.

2019 was pretty good. No one went to the hospital and we managed to have some fun and enjoy each other's company. Lona and I hope that 2019 was good for you as well and that 2020 will be even better.