What’s the temperature down to just 10° F the other morning, I decided to try out mall walking. It seemed like the quintessential retiree activity on a cold winter morning. A friend was supposed to join me, but he texted me that morning to say that 9:30a was “too early” for him. 🙂 When I arrived at 9:30, the mall was still closed. It was … Continue reading Deck The Malls …
I ran across these two charts recently and couldn’t help but scratch my head at what is going on in this country. This first chart shows healthcare spending. It’s been steadily growing +5.8%/year on average over the last 20+ years. That’s a whopping 2.4x the rate of overall inflation. The steady growth in healthcare spending stands at odds with political promises that came with the … Continue reading Healthcare Woes
My son was talking to my wife and I about the power of small, positive habits in our lives. The importance of getting the basics right amid our busy lives. I had saved a Reddit thread of these exact things a few weeks ago. Over 2,000 people commented on the little changes that “made a significant difference” for them. Here they are in ranked order … Continue reading Small, Positive Habits
I really screwed up. I pushed my body too hard a few weeks ago – tennis (3x), softball, and biking – and by Friday morning, when I got out of bed, my back was stiff and sore. I’ve rested it for a couple weeks, but it continues to be aggravated. I’ve come to believe that our bed – now 13 years old – is part … Continue reading Most Important Furniture Purchase?
Exactly 50 years ago, this Racine (WI) Journal-Times piece described my Grandpa, Paul Klimek. He was a accomplished softball player and proudly kept this clipping in his wallet his entire life. This year, I’m also “a spry, 56 year-old” on the softball field. While I don’t pitch, I also went “three-for-five with the stick” and scored a couple runs in our season opener. Related: Thrill … Continue reading Spry At The Plate
A friend posted a picture of her grandmother celebrating her 103rd birthday this week – that’s some milestone! Since my birthday is also in April, I got to thinking about the odds of reaching three digits. I found this interesting online calculator that gives you an estimate of your likelihood to reach the century mark: livingto100.org. The doctor who hosts it – Doctor Thomas Perls … Continue reading Birthday Calculator
It was exactly 2 years ago yesterday that I had my ‘Widowmaker’ heart attack, playing tennis at my home club (above). I played there yesterday and am very appreciative of the full recovery I have been able to make. It was the 42nd match of the year for me. I play with a couple friends and two of my brothers. my total matches for the … Continue reading Closing Out The 2021 Season
Our Riley is turning out to be a pretty good pupper, but he is a lot of work. He’s a social guy and loves to play and take walks. Thankfully, he’s not the ‘devil dog’ he was when he was little (3-4 months) … although he still has his moments. Over 70% of Americans have a pet of some sort – mostly dogs (60% of … Continue reading Healthy Pupper, Riley
The Minnesota State Fair – is the traditional end to Summer in our state. The 12-day event started last Thursday and will end on Labor Day Monday. In our family, we mark the exact moment the summer ends by saying that it happens when one of us sips a glass of cold apple cider at the Minnesota Apple Growers booth at the State Fair. Sorry, … Continue reading Which Season?
I promised an quick update on the progress of my refractive lens exchange surgery last month and the good news is everything has worked out extremely well. The first eye was done right after Christmas and the second eye two weeks ago. They removed my perfectly good, but near-sighted, natural lens and replaced it with a trifocal artificial lens that supplants any need for me … Continue reading The Eyes Have It
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