Rolling Down The River……

Posted on August 14, 2020 by profkf

It is no secret that I love the ocean and the beach is my favorite place. It’s also no secret that I’m not in love with lakes, woods, rivers, those kinds of bug filled, woodsy places. I’ve camped as a far younger man and had fun doing it, however that was a long time ago, in a galaxy….etc..

My lovely wife, on the other hand loves the woods, and was very interested in tubing down the river during our small break in Vermont. I agreed to take on this adventure for her, she assured me it would be relaxing and fun. Coley and Eric, our incredibly wonderful hosts, (their Rose of Sharon cottage on their farm is a real treasure, think The Winvian in terms of beauty and amenities with the addition of a full kitchen equipped with the best tools, spices, home baked bread, fresh eggs, herbs…and on and on) provided not only the tubes, but a cooler tube and a dry bag, had us park at a point where we’d end up, and then ferried us upriver and launched us to begin. On the way, we stopped for ice, a sandwich, and some Focal Banger that the local store had from The Alchemist, to sip on our 2-3 hour drift, the weather was perfect, even I was looking forward to it at this point, what could go wrong?…

Off we went, lazily drifting downstream (very lazily as the current was pretty non existent), we popped open a can each and occasionally paddled to change direction, pushing off the occasional obstructing large rock, about a half hour of drift….then the water level seemed to drop and we were pretty much at an impasse and a stop. Sue, popped up and took it upon herself to “tow” us (truth be told, I had zero desire to do it and the simple act of getting out of the tube on the shallow slippery rocks was, at best, a tough task for this still inflexible body even with the massive weight loss over the last 5 years). Eventually it became impossible (she had just slipped and fallen squarely on a rock, on her tailbone) so I struggled up (falling face first into the drink, no biggie but still annoying) and decided to eat some of the sandwich while upright and just walk along in the increasingly shallow water. (Aside: The sandwich had become soaked as it was in the cooler tube which, even though covered, had unavoidably taken on some water during the towing) after a few bites I gave up the soaked sandwich and just started to walk along so that Sue could drift (SPOILER ALERT: I was now becoming increasingly disenchanted and was not very relaxed, though I was very thankful I had brought along water shoes I had long ago bought for the rocky coast of Rhode Island). So on we went…

About another 20 minutes in, walking, my right water shoe blew out…the protective rubber on the sole, simply ripped off. So now I was walking along with no bottom grip or protection on my right foot, slipping along and “uncomfortable”. I was trying very had to hold it together for Sue, but rapidly failing and acting more like an irritated spoiled child. I did swim on the very rare occasions the depth allowed but it was not very frequent….Then, in the distance, the bridge I thought was our exit point…so momentary elation…( second spoiler alert: NOPE)

Try as I might I could not see the exit point that Coley had described and with only one shoe still functioning was not looking forward to bushwhacking my way up a steep hill to get to the car. Sue was pretty adamant that the bridge we were now under could not be the right bridge as she didn’t think we were in the river long enough. I could not see past my, by now, out of bounds frustration and desire to be done coupled with the fear that if we drifted too far beyond the exit point I was facing a long walk without a shoe back to the car. We agreed that I would stay put under the bridge we were at and Sue, who was (rightly so) confident that it was further away would drift down, retrieve the car and come back…so off she went, as I found a rock to impatiently wait on.

What seemed like an eternity later ( likely 10 minutes) I saw she had found some people downstream and I excitedly left my rock and started to make my way toward them….at which point, my left shoe blew out…leaving me with zero protection on slippery, large rocks. Swimming where possible I forged on excitedly, and then….and then… I saw someone making his way toward me, carrying a tube and a can of Focal Banger…it was ERIC! The people Sue found on the riverbank were Coley and Eric who had a bad feeling when they realized the low water level, coupled with the fact that I was pretty clear this was not my choice of a trip and they came back to check on us. I put my still large ass in the tube and with beer in hand expelled a deep sigh of relief as Eric walked along side and pushed me along where necessary to where Sue and Coley were deflating the other tube. Upon arrival I got up, we walked up a gentle slope to their car, deflated the cooler tube and they took us back to our car where I delightedly drove back to the cottage to relax a bit, shower and get ready for dinner (another fabulous one, this time at The Prince and The Pauper in Woodstock)

Postscript: Today is the day where we “look back on this and it will all seem funny…”. My right foot feels like it has a large rock embedded in it, and Sue will have a sore tailbone for quite a while. It makes for a great story, and likely will be repeatedly embellished over the years, including appropriate Deliverance references (cue the banjos)…Truth is truly stranger than fiction…and today, I happily celebrate year 68, something I was not so sure I’d get to yesterday at this time…😉)

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Just a teaser for a post to come

Posted on August 14, 2020 by profkf

Short intro…yesterday Kevin and Sue took a tubing trip down the river in Vermont…this is what my water shoes looked like when we were done…more to come when I have a full keyboard…

Vermont Tube Trip Results

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Struggle, struggle toil and trouble…

Posted on August 4, 2020 by profkf

I think I’ve gone this route in some prior posts, but I’m gonna do down that road again it seems.

I’m really struggling to stay mentally “upright” at the moment. There are days where things are just great, but there are other days where it seems like I’m walking around with a multitude of cinder blocks on my head and chest. I fall asleep pretty easily but almost daily, I wake up around 2 or 3 AM and I start to stress and rarely can fall back asleep restfully. I start to catalog the events of the day/week whatever I need to do, and that leads down mental rabbit holes none of which seem to have any light at the end of any tunnel.

Some days, a round of golf will take me “away” for a while, however, when I don’t play well, that simply adds to my malaise, and even golf comes to an end after a few short hours. I do feel that I am in some sort of control on the course, (that is, until I hit an offline shot), and the air and sunshine (mostly) do help a lot.

I miss the ocean, it’s so bad that other than going to the beach in Greenwich once this year, I’ve not even suggested it. Normally, my MO at the beach is to sit for a short while, then take a run along the beach, swim, sit, read, eat lunch, then repeat the first few steps. This year, the trip we did make didn’t really allow for a run (just not safe to do with all the folks around, impossible to stay distant enough), so it was sitting, a bit of lunch, a small dip, then a LOT more sitting. One of the things that has happened over the past 5 years with my sleeve surgery and dramatic weight loss is that I really can’t sit still for too long any more. I need to move (making up, I guess, in my head, for years, almost decades, of not being ABLE to move comfortably) and I need to be active (that’s another reason why I so love walking when I play golf, though even that due to the last dehydration episode, is not a matter of riding while it’s hot and humid, so even that has taken away some of the joy). Due to the inability to move as much on the beach I’ve not suggested even once beyond the first time that we go, and that’s not even the ocean, just a small spit of Long Island Sound.

I’m writing this as we get ready for 10 hours or so of Tropical Storm stuff, also adding to my irritation. It’s dark, humid, and just plain crappy…

I know it will all turn around, I know that a year from now we will “look back and it (may) all seem funny”, but for the moment I’m living under the lip of a very big sand trap with a plugged lie and it seems as if my wedge is broken…the real problem is that at my seemingly rapidly advancing age, a year is a long amount of time to give away.

Guess the only thing to do is to keep swinging until I’m clear of the lip….oh, and wear a goddamn mask and keep your gatherings to small, outside, appropriately spaced events so we can be done with this crap…..

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Return with me now to those thrilling days of yesteryear…

Posted on July 29, 2020 by profkf

I was looking at some old photos the other day and one, in particular, made me laugh. It was a photo taken at the HS I worked at for 25 years, we were celebrating the retirement of a friend, the photo speaks for itself.

Image may contain: 4 people, people standing

That’s me in the far left, and the amazing gentleman I worked under, our housemaster, for most of those 25 years on the far right. We had an enormous amount of fun during that time, and what it created was an atmosphere of collegiality and experimentation. We were free to grow, encouraged to try new things, NOT dictated to or given marching orders. We were trusted professionals and it resulted in amazing teaching and learning.

I shared this photo in various places and the (then) young man in the middle, the blonde in the stunning blue dress, reminded me of another story which actually is the point of this post, all he said was “remember the White Castle lunch?” So here goes….

I was in the middle of an early class one morning, and out of the blue one of my teeth exploded in pain (apparently I had an abscess I had let go too long as was my habit then), I called my dentist immediately and she said she could see me if I could get there within the hour. We were in Greenwich, she was in the Bronx so it was doable, I, of course, said “YES”. When I told my housemaster (the guy on the far right, remember…though it was not during this celebration) all he said was…make sure you bring back some White Castle (he was also a Bronx boy born and raised).

Off I went, the tooth was attended to, I was numbed up, and headed out a few blocks from the dentist to, yup, White Castle on Allerton Ave, where I bought 3 sacks of 10 burgers each (this was pre “crave case”), and headed home up the Bronx River Parkway. I was so numb that I could not even try one freshly made and it was killing me.

Well, I was driving with a great deal of alacrity wanting to get back to GHS with the burgers warm, apparently I didn’t notice the county “constable” on the side of the road and soon I saw the flashing lights and pulled over. By the time he got to the car I had all my paperwork out as I was hoping to get the ticket quickly and move along. He decided he was going to chide me about how fast I was going (let’s just say in excess of 75), as I rolled down the window he started to sniff and had a quizzical look on his face…”Is that White Castle, I smell?” he asked…”sure is” was my reply and I very quickly told him the story of my tooth and where I was headed and why I was moving so “quickly”. He responded “I grew up in the Bronx but I’ve not had any for years”…recognizing an opening I immediately took out two and handed them to him and said “here, eat these while you’re running my paper”. At first he said “no” but I pressed him and he took them. Well, it took a short while (as he was eating them slowly) but when he got back he said “you’re record is clean, but you were moving far too fast to just let it slide”…I told him I certainly understood and I was sorry, I was just trying to get the warm burgers back to my boss and other co workers who were dying for them. He didn’t say anything more and was clearly thinking about his alternatives…I, again, grasped a straw and said, “hey, listen, I’ve already broken up this sack, take the rest (8 more burgers) and enjoy them, the remaining 20 are enough for those who want a taste to get one”…I reached out the sack, this time, there was no hesitation, he took them, thanked me, handed me my license and registration back and said…”do yourself a favor, keep it under 65 will you!” and sent me on my way….

I got back to GHS and was given a large amount of grief for how long it took me to get back, however when I related the story, the burgers, while being quickly devoured, were accompanied by laughs…Some things you just cannot make up….

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Intelligence, compassion, respect

Posted on July 26, 2020 by profkf

For the last 5 years, I have regularly run along the main road leading to and from my home. If I’m not running, I’m walking the dog along that same route. This has not changed since mid March when we went into virtual lockdown. For a very long time it was just about the only “freedom” I had, and it was, and is, a very important, and rejuvenating part of most days. Lately there have been numerous stories about a surge in the spread of this very annoying (never mind dangerous) virus, yet today, it struck me as I was walking the dog that one of the things I’ve seen repeatedly during these past four months is how people can and do take things seriously and take care of each other.

The running community is very supportive. I move at a snail’s pace, and to even use the term “running” for how I move, is a very generous use of the term. Not one time however, regardless of my pace, have I been met with anything other than a wave, a smile, encouragement, a cheer from others either running, biking or walking. Frequently, the biggest cheers and encouragements come from far more accomplished athletes. That continues to this day, but what has added to that, and caused this stream of consciousness spew, is the attitude folks have today as well. No one is happy about this mess, it’s tough, I struggle with it daily, but today, while walking Abbey THE dog, what I saw (and then reflected upon) was this: EVERY SINGLE PERSON I’ve come into contact with over the past 4 months still smiles, still waves, but in addition, is masked up when passing AND either crosses the street or walks out or waits so there is ample room for us to pass each other without any fear of spreading any droplets or the like. It hit me like the proverbial ton of bricks….this is why we, in this little section of my town have seen almost no cases, are hearing about no serious hospitalizations. We are using intelligence, we are compassionate toward each other and we are respecting the fact that it’s not just about ourselves, but about those around us.

Why is this no so damn self evident? It sucks, it will suck a bit longer, However, if we continue to do this, it will shorten the “suck factor” it will allow us to “open up” and yes, this too WILL pass….

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Golf as a metaphor

Posted on July 24, 2020 by profkf

One of the reasons I’m playing better this year, or at least scoring significantly better than in years past, is that I’ve taken to managing my game, however, sometimes arrogance gets the best of you. What that means goes something like this: Last Tuesday, on the first tee, I hit a pretty strong drive but left it way out to the right. I was able to find it, it was closer to the 7th fairway and between some trees. Most of the season, I would have simply accepted the fact that I was going to lose a stroke, pitched out to the fairway and “taken my medicine”, and kept a bogey (5) on the table [the first hole is a relatively manageable par 4]. Due, in no small part, to the fact that I’ve been scoring better, I decided to try a shot that had, likely at best, a 20% success rate. I had a clear shot between the trees, but my stance was awkward, the lie equally awkward (side hill, not much grass) and there were some branches to consider. If it was successful I would still not be on the green, as I had to take a lower iron to execute the shot, but with a good “up” and a good putt, I would still have par in play. I made very good contact, but hit it a bit too high, it hit a limb and dropped down. I was still in the same vicinity, but was totally blocked and in worse shape than prior. Long story short, I ended the hole with a triple bogey 7 due to making that mistake which then was compounded.

So let’s move to reopening schools here…YES, everyone wants to be back, teachers, kids, parents, politicians, everyone. Here’s the issue…it’s still not safe for the long haul. The politicians, (even in CT which has done a remarkable job of containing, and reducing and with masks and proper conduct has a small feeling of hope and normality) are pushing the issue much too quickly without, seemingly any real long play thoughts. The latest is that the DOE has said distance learning days will NOT be counted and will have to be made up, talk about a real strong arm gesture. So let’s look at it like my first hole the other day…

Where the politicos are is trying the make the “hero” shot, then are NOT professionals when it comes to school they way I am not a professional golfer. They have NOT spent years hitting intellectual practice shots, they don’t know what it means to be in a classroom day after day after day, against all CDC space guidelines in most cases when it comes to HS and Middle School sizes, let alone what the elementary restrictions are in terms of contact and behaviors. So IF they try the hero shot and IF they are successful, they will be able to pound their chests, and pat themselves on the back with a HUGE “I told you so” Yet, what are the real chances of them being successful with this “hero shot”? Likely less than mine were on the first hole Tuesday.

Why am I saying that you ask? FACTS folks, empirical evidence folks. Teens and early 20’s have gathered for sports and parties and camps and not a day goes by where there are not confirmed reports of multiple positive tests of Covid-19 coming from those groupings. These are OUTDOOR events for the most part, yet this type of gathering is rekindling the spread. What do you think will happen when these same folks gather INSIDE? Think real hard on that?? Do we really want to go back to where we were in March? Do we really want to go back to square one? Do we want to start over??

OR…do we accept the fact that we need to “punch out” take a bit more “medicine”, be a bit more uncomfortable and keep moving forward more slowly rather than racing to a point where we will have to retract all the gains and then some?

I can’t imagine why it’s not self evident? Maybe our politicians need to play real golf, (not the cheating kind that #45 has been known for, again, repeated, verified stories of his behavior on the course) and learn that managing the game over 18 holes produces a much better score than trying to do it all on one shot on one hole.

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Golf, Heat, Humidity, H2O

Posted on July 22, 2020 by profkf

First some backstory: In July of 2015 I had a sleeve gastrectomy (aka: Bariatric Sleeve Surgery), it helped me go from close to 400 lbs, to under 200 lbs and I’ve managed to keep it off these last 5 years and continue to be active and healthy. About 7 months after surgery, down almost 85 lbs at that point, we spent a weekend with my in-laws and I was not careful for the first time about hydration being away from home. Long story short, that Monday, I stood up in my classroom prior to classes starting and fainted, smacking my head on the desk on the way down (fortunately, since it woke me up enough to put my hands down and not crack my skull on the concrete floor). Of course, everyone was concerned with my health, even though I knew from the outset it was dehydration, but I agreed to go to the ER where they did, in fact, confirm Dr. Fitz’s diagnosis, pumped me full of fluids and sent me home after a few hours. Since that time I have been incredibly careful about all things hydration. I start the day with 24 oz of water and drink copious amounts as the day goes on. Of course, there are very few occasions where I don’t closely enough monitor but usually I’m right on top of it.

About a year ago, I felt light headed again in the classroom (this time during the first class) knowing what the cause likely was (I had recently had a full physical where EVERY result was on point), I started to drink water, water and more water….this time Dr. Fitz overdid it and I ended up with Hyponatremia (aka water intoxication) where I had driven my salt levels too low. 24 hours later all was balanced again and I was fine.

That brings me to golf: I started playing when I was 13, really loved it, played 6 days a week when I was in college and got pretty good at it. Then life kinda got in the way…marriage, kids, working multiple jobs and that weight thing I referred to above…then acute arthritis in both hips (had both replaced) but still was Corpulent Chris, so playing golf was out of the question. Three years ago, (remember I had lost 200 lbs by then and was running and terribly active) I was invited by the Principal of the little school I teach at in semi-retirement to be part of the faculty foursome for the fund raiser golf tournament they were having. I figured what the hell and went took her up on it. I had a GREAT time, (played terribly as I had not even swung a club in 10 years) but had fun…so I started playing again, a little then a lot..I prefer now, to walk and carry my own bag (I did buy a pushcart, but I still prefer to carry it’s just easier) and did find that at the beginning of the season my first round or two would result in painful quad cramps likely do to not drinking enough water on the round, even though it usually happened in the spring where it wasn’t that hot. So, I added to my very successful routine, more water and two Brode Hydration Vitamins prior to each round and have not run into that again.

That brings me to the point of this post….Monday I played 18 at Connecticut National in Putnam with a friend in brutal heat and humidity and we rode in a cart as it was part of the T-deal, I have improved my game to where I’m not pretty consistently in the mid-high 80’s and did shoot an 88 including a birdie and 4 pars. On the way home I got a text asking if I wanted to play on Tuesday (yesterday) at 11:50 in the morning on the local course where I had just carded an 83 (my lowest in decades). I immediately accepted and decided I’d walk since I love walking that course (Oak Hills in Norwalk). I made sure I had 40oz of water prior to going, along with my Brode vitamins. I brought another 40oz to carry so all seemed ready to go. The front 9 was a mediocre 46 though I did par the 2nd and 3rd holes. I was resolved to turn it around on the back and did par 3 of the first 4 holes ( a triple on #11 due to a wayward tee shot and a bad break when I was inches from a fabulous recovery but a tree limb barely got in the way) then I felt myself wearing down a bit and some inconsistent last few holes (triple, double,double,bogie,double) ended up with an aggravating 49.

As we walked to our respective cars, my playing partner asked if we had time for a frosty one…it sounded great so I immediately accepted. We ordered a pitcher and sipped some water sitting at an outdoor table in the comfortable shade with a refreshing breeze. I took a delicious sip and put my glass down. The very next thing I was aware of was Robert tapping me and saying “Kevin…Kevin….” why you ask?? Well, apparently I had completely passed out (thankfully while sitting in the chair) as was momentarily totally unresponsive to the point where he had initiated a 911 call. When I snapped to, he hung up, (but again good news, they called him back immediately to check on the disconnection..he told them I had come back so, no, they didn’t need to send anyone). I gave them quite a scare…bottom like, even though I had consumed 64oz of water while playing, I must have significantly dehydrated (when I got home I got on the scale and had lost 9 lbs…that’s a LOT in a few hours). They got me some iced towels and we waited about a half hour at which time I felt pretty ok….Robert insisted on following me home and I made the trip easily. I was still a bit tired last night, but managed to grill a strip steak and have some of it with part of a baked potato ( it is my week to cook but that’s another post entirely). Today, all is well, I took the dog out for a long walk, did some things around the house in preparation for having another couple over for an appropriate distant screen porch evening. Guess it seems that even though you think you’ve done all you can regarding hydration in heat and humidity, there is always more to do…

An interesting postscript about god watching over drunks and fools…think about it, this could have turned out to be tragic if I had NOT accepted or he had NOT asked about staying around for a cup of suds, I likely would have been on the road during the time I passed out…pretty scary thought there huh?? Moral of the story, never pass up a beer!!!

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Let’s Talk about the Reopening of Schools…

Posted on July 14, 2020 by profkf

There are so many places to start but I think the most obvious is this: At this point, in the middle of July, the committees and the “meetings” about this very sensitive topic have mostly, if not all, been conducted remotely. This includes the presentations that various board of education meetings have done. Think about that….a small group of adults have been making plans and decisions, not in person, not in rooms too small to hold most of them, but remotely. If that is not the first thing you think about it should be.

Let’s move on from there: The Atlanta mayor has seen such a major resurgence that she is going back to “level 1” (much to the dismay of the clueless governor of Georgia who is giving her grief about even suggesting that’s the way to go). Almost every locale that opened up indoor spaces (yup, schools are INDOOR SPACES) has seen such an uptick in infections that they either have or are in discussions to ratchet it back. The Governors of NY, CT, NJ who, thankfully, have been operating as one in this, have put a major HOLD on opening indoor spaces beyond what they’ve done and in some locations they are also preemptively, talking about going back to outdoor spaces only.

Summer travel, such that it is, has also caused quite the uptick, so much so that NY, CT and NJ now have put very strict rules in place for travelers in terms of declarations, contact tracing and quarantine upon returning. These same kids and families will be the ones populating the schools in September.

I find it terribly interesting, though not at all surprising, that the decisions are being made without significant input being sought or listened to from the grunts in the trenches, the classroom teachers who will have to monitor, police, enforce all the regulations that they are being TOLD they have to put in place. This, while districts and schools are cutting funds left and right, using the current situation as an excuse without any real foresight.

“School buildings will undergo deep cleaning each night” they say…REALLY? I’ve been teaching for 44 years, most of those years in very well heeled and well thought of school districts and I can tell you from personal experience that, while the custodial staff works their collective tails off, there are, even without a raging Capt. Tripps type illness, simply not enough of them to do a good cleaning on a daily basis, let along sanitize a petri dish building from top to bottom each day, [time to again mention that districts are cutting funds, not adding them so don’t think, for a nano second, that they are going to add custodial staff]

Another personal experience tale here: EVERY single year when school opens there is a rash of illness for the staff for the first few weeks simply because of the exposure, in an enclosed setting that they have not had to deal with for the time away in the summer. Coughs, colds, runny noses, sneezing and general sickness. Yes it goes pretty quickly but that’s not what we are dealing with now..Take that same experience and add the serious nature of the current Covid-19 wonder what that will do huh??

I miss being in front of the classroom, I’m still at it after 44 years because I love it, I’m still really good at what I do (or so I’m told) that, not only have I not been put out to pasture, but I was asked to come back from retirement 8 years ago and have not regretted a day of it. I love routine, I love the interaction with the kids and the staff, I am a social beast. While I worked hard at the distance learning model (and did a damn good job at it), it’s not the same in any way, the thought of doing it for another 4-6 months is very, very unattractive. Here comes the big HOWEVER….

HOWEVER…common sense, empirical evidence and the current examples, all indicate that whatever physical reopening is done will be very short lived and there goes the hope and the routine. Not only that, but ALL of the current evidence (not Faux News here but real data) indicates that having to go backward will only cause a longer period of stasis. I am about to be 68 years old, I fit the “high risk” category just on that basis. That said, I rarely, if ever get sick, I’m not personally worried about contracting a heavy dose and am pretty convinced if I do, just based upon my “track record” I’d ride it out in a few days however, (there’s that word again)….who would I infect that could be at higher risk? How long would I then have to be out, perhaps then even unable to do my distance piece from home?

Someone in authority, whether it’s a politician, a principal, a superintendent, needs to remember that teachers are not simply disposable pieces in your game whether it’s to get elected, or to move up the chain. Yes, it is hard on families, yes, it is hard on the kids, especially the lower grades, however if we keep taking one step up followed by two steps back, we have a net loss not a net gain and it will then take even longer to get this under control.

LA and San Diego have set the tone in a thoughtful, measured way, the rest of the nation should follow suit so that we can come out cleanly on the other side and sooner rather than later, get back to where we want to be.

When you can show me the doctor who will have 20 people in a waiting room that seats 30, 5 days in a row, for 7 hours a day, and who will sit and have lunch with those in the waiting room, I will be the first to march into the school building…until then….think it over folks…

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I was so much older then, I’m younger than that now…

Posted on July 11, 2020 by profkf

So begins the thoughts for today: I just got back from a very hot, humid, sticky run and I have a huge smile on my face. When I went out I knew it would be tough, Sue had just come back from a walk with Abbey THE dog and was regaling me with Tales of Brave Ulysses along with repeated mentions of how humid it was. I was not really motivated to go, but I wanted to get some work in as I had done nothing yesterday due to the rain and not wanting to use the treadmill. So I suited up, got my accoutrements all set, and out I went. As usual, the first 1/4 mile or so was huffy and puffy, but one good thing about the heat is that the muscles loosen up very easily, with Mark Knopfler playing away in my ears, I hit a very nice, comfortable stride and began to think how bloody fortunate I am in my golden years to not only WANT to do it but to be able to do this. I kept thinking how lucky I was to have had the support, courage and desire to have the sleeve surgery 5 years ago this month and to keep at it.

The greatest gift is health, you can’t buy it, but you can certainly work at it. I am much more active now than I was 10, 20, even 30 years ago, I don’t dread exercise, or even moving around the house, I actually look forward to it. During the current mess that we are in, I have managed to lower my “underlying risks” which has upped my mood, even on the toughest days, and has allowed me to keep moving forward and looking toward a happy and hopefully healthy, long road ahead. I have an incredible wife who NEVER even wrinkles her nose if I want to go for a run, play golf or do something selfishly active, that also is a huge gift. If you have to negotiate for time to take care of yourself (which I never have to do) it makes it much harder to keep it positive and to look forward to it.

Well, I’ve just now stopped sweating, so it’s time for a well deserved shower…The time had come the walrus said……

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Independence Day

Posted on July 4, 2020 by profkf

Today, July 4th, is usually a day of celebration. Barbecues, Beer, parties, fireworks, boisterous celebrations where (courtesy of Mr. James Buffett)

“American women in muumuus
Talk about all the things they did today
And their husbands quack about fishing
As they slug those rum drinks down
Discussing who caught what
And who sat on his butt“

This year, 7/4/2020 is a bit different as well we know. Folks will still get together (hell, we’re headed to a friend’s house today for some well distant drinks and snacks), and fireworks have been going off seemingly non stop each evening for the past few weeks, but it will be a much more subdued event.

What we celebrate today is a nation that was formed by revolution, sustained by conflict but led, most often, by thoughtful, empathetic men…yes, men…there is already one flaw, we are a species that has men and women and yet, in over 200 years, we have yet to find it in our collective hearts and consciousness to share the leadership of the nation. We are a nation of multiple races and yet, only once, in over 200 years have we found it in our collective hearts and consciousness to “allow” someone not white (and mostly WASP) to lead the nation.

We are currently a nation divided, doesn’t it make even more sense today to look away from what is clearly not working and look toward what might just be a better idea?

Just a thought I had while running today…

I started with Jimmy, I’ll leave you with Bruce…he was writing about something different but I do think it applies if you think on it:

“Well say goodbye it’s Independence Day
It’s Independence Day all boys must run away
So say goodbye it’s Independence Day
All men must make their way come Independence Day“

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