Old-Old

Last Thursday was my birthday - one that I’ve actually been looking forward to because I turned 80 years old.  Most birthdays are just another day for me.  They don’t mean much.  But this one was different.  I had been looking forward to it all year and when Aloma asked if I wanted a small party, I actually considered it.  After the accident, a party was the last thing on my mind.

The definition of old used to be 65.  That seems to be increasing as people are living longer and are healthier.  And there is a new definition of old age that I hear often - old-old. And guess when it starts.  Eighty years old.

I’m proud to be 80 and to be old-old.  I consider 80 a milestone.

Before the accident, except for not being able to get out of a chair easily because my knees don’t bend as they should, I was in pretty good shape, walking a couple of miles two to three times a week and hitting the gym at least twice a week.  I didn’t feel old-old.  Now I do.

While I’m recovering nicely, I still feel beat up and stiff.  I’m determined to get back in the shape I was a few month ago.

I’ll still be old-old, but I won’t feel like it.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Bald Eagles

Two bald eagles hatched on December 26 and 27, 2017 in a huge nest near Fort Myers, Florida.  Several high-definition cameras streamed a live feed over the website:  dickpritchettrealestate.com/eagle-feed.html.  I started watching them the first week of January and would check in with them several times a day.  I totally fell in love with the baby eagles.  In January, they could barely sit up for Mom to feed them.  They had to use their wings to crawl a few feet to be fed.  They were so cute.

Mom was over 30 years old (eagles don’t live much beyond that in the wild) and Dad was much younger.  Mom was experienced and a great mother; Dad was a great hunter and brought to the nest fish, squirrels and egrets.  Mom would open up the prey and tear off pieces to feed the babies.

After the accident, I was in excruciating pain or knocked out by pain medicine.  While Aloma had brought my laptop to the hospital, I didn’t open it for about 10 days.  When I did, the first thing I did was go to the eagle site.

I watched them daily and was worried that one wasn’t getting enough food.  I was a wreck when they started getting out of the nest and hopping up on nearby limbs.  I wasn’t ready for them to fledge for the first time.  Now they are accomplished flyers and come back to the nest only when food is delivered.  They are within days of leaving the area and not returning.

Well done Mom and your young husband.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

March Madness

Every year I enjoy the NCAA basketball tournament, as 64 plus teams compete for the national championship.  This year I enjoyed it more than ever.  Thursday through Sunday, the first week of the tournament, games are on TV from noon to almost midnight.  I always watch as many games as l can but, feel guilty spending so much time in front of the TV.

No guilt this year.  Because of my accident I was home, couldn’t drive a car and didn’t have much to do except read, exercise and read books - and watch TV.  I record programs so I can fast forward through the commercials.  I always had two games being recorded so when I would catch up with one, I would switch to the other.  I really watched a lot of games - with no guilt.

Having nine ACC teams in the tournament made it exciting.  When I filled out a bracket, I chose ACC teams to win.  I even had Duke and North Carolina in the finals.  As many of you know, most ACC teams were wiped out during the early rounds and my bracket was busted.  Only Duke made it to the final sixteen and then they lost.  That took some of the excitement away for me.

You would think the NCAA tournament would be enough.  I also watched many of the NIT tournament games and even watched some of the women in their NCAA tournament games.  By the time Villanova won the final game and was crowned champion, I had finally had enough.  I don’t need to see another basketball game for long time.

Seasoned Man

Stevelem117@gmail.com