Lately, I’ve been weighing myself, and I must say, like smoking, overeating, or picking your nose in public, watching the scale has become a bad habit. Something that I wouldn’t recommend anyone start. Because once you start, it’s hard to look away as the numbers bounce about before settling on the latest reading. And just like in Vegas at the roulette table, no matter what number pops up, you’re bound to be disappointed. Because the only reason why you bought a scale in the first place was that the doctor (damn him) wanted to be sure that with your leaky heart valve,  you weren’t retaini ..read more

Have you ever awoken in the middle of the night and wondered about your life? The choices that have led you to the current moment in time. If you haven’t, you’re lucky. After all, there’s little to be gained lying in bed and rehashing the past unless there’s something to be done about it. But then, if you could, would you reach back and fix a mistake? Do any of us want to dwell on things that might be unpleasant or admit we might’ve been wrong? Regret I’m all about regret and as an author, it works for me. Without regret, I wouldn’t be able to understand a character’s motivation. Or at least t ..read more

There’s nothing like a family wedding to bring out the need to raid one’s closet for appropriate attire. In our house, we’re a casual duo. Jeans without sneakers is a dressy night out. So, you can imagine the activity when a wedding invitation arrived that requested formal attire. We immediately Googled to find out what that meant for men. Do we have to wear tuxedos? Oh, good. Dark suits would suffice. But wait. The last time I wore a dark suit (my one and only; the others have long been retired to a bin at Goodwill) was in 2019 when I attended my nephew’s wedding. And that suit wasn’t new the ..read more

For those of you who’ve been reading my blog, you know that last month I had surgery on my right ear to remove a tumor that had rendered me totally deaf. I was already deaf in my left as a result of a childhood illness. The doctor had promised a complete recovery—and that my hearing would be “better than ever before”. But what he didn’t say at the time was that it would take three months for the hearing in my right ear to fully return. On the bright side, I can hear now. But I’m only at 50% of my former hearing. I guess sometimes, our expectations exceed what nature has planned. Of course, it ..read more

The other day, I was out to breakfast with my most tech-savvy friend who admitted he’d left his Apple watch at home. Now this is the guy who in 1983 advised me to buy Apple stock. Of course, back then, who had two nickels to rub together? I certainly didn’t. Which makes me wonder—when was the last time you saw a nickel? Or even handled change. Anyway, this friend has always bought the latest gadgets. Name it, and he’s owned it. As for me, I’d never been into tech fads. But when I was in college back in the 1970s, I did own a Texas Instrument calculator. That calculator cost a whopping $120 buc ..read more

Every marriage has its problems. And no one ever knows what goes on behind closed doors. You’d hope that after thirty-three years of being together, including thirteen years of marriage, any real disagreements would have been amicably settled long ago. Still, if you pressed an ear at our front door these days, you’re bound to hear shouting. But it’s not because we’re fighting. You see, I’ve suddenly lost my hearing due to a tumor in what used to be my one good ear. I guess, life happens. Fate comes for us all. But what makes this so difficult is that I actually had the same tumor in the same e ..read more

There’s something compelling about reality television. Whether you’re watching My 600-lb Life or Married at First Sight, at least it’s not your life. You can sit back and get lost in someone else’s journey. Disconnect from your own issues as you watch a stranger struggle with theirs. Is that therapeutic? I don’t know. But what I do know is that it’s mindless television. And if you have a busy mind, one that likes to do a loop-de-loop through your own issues, it’s nice to focus on someone else’s troubles for a change. Who Can You Tell? Clearly, reality television is here to stay. But would you ..read more

My recent physical is now well behind me. I thought it a good idea to get a baseline once I moved into a new age category. If you fill out surveys, you’ll know the age bracket that I’m referring to. It’s the last one on the list. Usually displayed with a “+” sign as if any age past it really isn’t worth mentioning. It’s not a good feeling. What’s Your Blood Pressure? I’ve been concerned lately about my blood pressure so I purchased a blood pressure monitor through Amazon. The problem is that I get nervous as soon as I put the cuff on my arm. I don’t want to have hypertension. I don’t want to t ..read more

The other day, I was standing in line at the grocery store to check out. Ahead of me, an adorable 5-year-old boy was with his Mom.  As the Mom gathered her cart and started to leave, the little boy turned and shouted to everyone in earshot, I love you.  All the adults were instantly charmed. There were smiles everywhere. And then, in unison, we all said back, we love you. It was an amazing and momentary bond among strangers. This made me wonder. Wouldn’t the world be a better place if instead of saying goodbye we just offered an enthusiastic, I love you? What could be the harm? Shalo ..read more

Let’s agree at the start. Nothing ruins a meal faster than calorie counting. But then, if you follow my blog, this should be no surprise. Because I like to eat. And so I especially hate seeing the calorie count on a restaurant menu. No matter what I want to order, the calorie count always seems too high. But what if we leave out the butter? Leave out the cream. Eliminate the pasta. Hmm. Maybe, I should just order a hard-boiled egg and a glass of water. Is that on the menu? Food Is Meant to be Enjoyed When I go out to dine, I want to enjoy my meal. Not be reminded to watch my weight. That shoul ..read more