Author: DOuG pRATt

Golden Slumbers, Carry That Weight

This isn’t about the Beatles album Abbey Road. It’s a follow-up to something from last year, about alcoholic beverages.

C2H5OH

I’ve stopped consuming alcohol. Not only was it affecting my sleep, it was one reason why I had put on weight.

Oh, to be 50 again!
I certainly enjoyed beer and wine when I weighed only 165 pounds, but not only was I younger then, I was running 2000 miles/year. Lately I’ve been averaging 18 miles/week, albeit at a slower pace than in my middle-aged prime.

A year ago my cholesterol was 210, just over the “safe” 200 threshold. My doctor prescribed a statin, but I wanted nothing to do with it. My hope was that an alcohol-free liver combined with a better running schedule would do the trick… and it worked. My cholesterol is now 170, and my belt is three notches in from where it was during the pandemic.

Saving money wasn’t a consideration in my decision, but it’s another advantage to abstaining. I’m not saying I’ll never again have a pint of beer or a glass of wine, but the benefits of not indulging, especially a good night’s sleep, are better than enjoying an evening drink.

Panel 3 accurately describes Winter training for the Boston Marathon in my somewhat younger years.

Please Let It All Be a Bad Dream

If the election were held today, Trump could win?? Why aren’t the mad MAGA hatters calling out this obviously fake news from the mainstream media?

As a resolute anti-Trumper, I am nonetheless somewhat dubious about New York’s position in suing Trump in a civil case. If the allegedly defrauded financial institutions didn’t sue him, why should the state?

60 Minutes for 60+ People

An old friend of mine (we met shortly before my 17th birthday) is now eligible for full Social Security benefits. She’s been having trouble applying online, because the system isn’t accepting the checking account number she wants to use for direct deposit.

Fortunately, she’s in no hurry to figure out the problem, because she’s still deciding on when to start receiving her benefits. Other retirees who are having trouble with the Social Security Administration don’t have the luxury of waiting.

I ran into a bit of tax return difficulty some years ago, when my wife was recruited for a position with future Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker, who was then the CEO of Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare. She was paid a modest stipend for attending a monthly meeting, and that small amount of money became a big headache.

That experience helped to cement my view that complicating the Social Security equation by adding earned income is asking for trouble. Which was why one of my retirement goals was to not have, or need, a paying job. Of course this isn’t possible for many retirees and, sorry to say, 60 Minutes has confirmed my concern.

Planting Impatiensly

If my parents had made a go of their florist/greenhouse business in Wisconsin, I might know as much about plants as anything else. As it turned out, I know next to nothing. The two impatiens I had hanging on the front porch all summer did so well I decided to see if they can survive the winter, repotted on the all-season porch.

If the porch works for the impatiens, maybe later I could “pot” some other plants. 😉

Yes, I’m kidding!