another magic ingredient

Another interesting report on TV this morning.  After extensive studies is appears that Vitamin D helps prevent dementia and Alzheimer's.  And, wonder of wonders, you can get Vitamin D in milk, salmon and supplements, three of my favorite things. Now, if I can only remember to buy those things...

a magic pill

Another interesting report on the TV news this morning - it seems that taking a baby aspirin every day (preferably the coated kind) not only protects against heart disease which we've know for some time, but also seems to prevent or minimize several kinds of cancer.  Who knew?  I guess this medicine, that has been around in one form or another for 2000+ years doesn't get the credit or press it deserves because A. it's not very expensive and B. pharmaceutical companies can't make huge profits from selling it.  It also doesn't have a very exotic or impressive sounding name. Consider three old cronies comparing notes about their ailments. "I'm taking Xzanipsocolit 3 times a day" says one. . "That's nothing" says the second " I take seven different medicines, none of which I can pronounce."  "Oh," says the third "I take one baby aspirin every morning."  Sorry, just not very impressive. Of course, if you don't care about impressing, just being healthy, go buy some baby aspirin,

an embarrassing moment

I am driving a rental car wile mine is being repaired and today I decided to put gas in it.  I drove up to a pump at my favorite gas station, having remembered to check which side of the car needed to be near the pump, only to discover that I didn't know how to open the flap covering the gas cap.  In my good old car I just stick a finger in the little space provided and flip the cover open.  Not so with this car.  I have had cars in the past that had an internal switch to open the flap so I am familiar with the concept but, sitting at the pump, I could not find the switch, and, more frustration, there was no manual in the car. Now this is why this is my favorite gas station and I will drive out of my way to get my gas there (it's the Shell station near the Kroger on Dupont, in case you're wondering).  I walked into the store, explained my dilemma to the young lady behind the counter, and she immediately said "Sure, I can help you with that" and came with me to my car, searched a little, found the switch and opened the flap for me. No laughter, no eye roll, no sheesh what a dumb lady, just polite, good humored service. Thank you! I will be back (but next time with my own car).

I'm driving a rental car.

Today I took my car in because the parts had come in to repair the door where it was side swiped four weeks ago.  Since I drive an oldie but goodie (a 2004 Buick Rendezvous) it took them a little while to find the replacement door.  While my car is being repaired I'm driving a rental, a cute little 2014 Nissan Versa.  I've never even heard of a Versa before but it's a cute little car, very responsive, easy to drive, but happily, for my budget, it's not enticing me to buy one.  I know it's ecologically irresponsible, but I love my big old Buick. I'd write an ode to it but the only rhyme I can come up with for Rendezvous is "me and you" as in let's me and you go for a ride in my Rendezvous and that's not even good English, let alone good poetry. But still it's easier than rhyming something with Versa.

early to bed

"Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise." or so said Benjamin Franklin.  I'm sure he's right and it probably works for women too.  I wouldn't mind being healthy, wealthy and wise, but I have a problem (actually it's probably more like an addiction).  I love to read and my best, often only, time to read is after I'm in bed.  So, even though I sometimes do get to bed relatively early (before 10:30) when I actually turn off the light is anybody's guess. Unhappily for me I do have to get up early to get to work.  I think a variation on that wise old saying that might more truly reflect my life style is "Late to sleep but early to rise requires caffeine to prop open my eyes.  

a movie that brings back memories

A friend and I saw a movie today called "And so it goes."  It was a fun movie with a fairly predictable but enjoyable story line and a few really hilarious lines, really made for our age group. But what added to the fun for me was that the hero was a REALTOR and having been one myself for over 20 years, it really brought back some memories. Not all of them good of course, but many of them fairly realistic.  Funny, I still don't miss that career at all.

texting techniques

I have a smart phone now, so smart in fact that I'm sure there are many clever features that I have yet to discover.  It's sad to think that it's called a smart phone because it't smarter than I am. I have learned to take pictures and was actually able to share some family shots with a girlfriend at lunch today. I felt so cool. However, I am still struggling with texting.  Mind you, I'm in favor of texting and I have found many circumstances in which it is very convenient to text,.but I have yet to figure out how people text with their thumbs. My texting technique is definitely old school, hunt and peck, but even when I flip to the larger screen my thumbs just don't work to create accurate messages. I'm not sure this is a skill worth pursuing.