CRUISE NAILS!

I’m sitting here looking down at my long, square cut, sparkly purple fingernails! In my 67 years on this earth, I have never had any kind of artificial nails…..until yesterday. After a crazy couple of weeks with my dad in the ER, the hospital & finally back home with more care, doctor appointments & home health nurses literally every single day, it was past time to treat myself to something special for our upcoming cruise to Iceland, Greenland & Norway.

With my dad on the road to recovery, I made an appointment for a gel manicure & wanted to ask about tips to increase the length. This was a wild & crazy step for me! I’m afraid of acrylic nails that cover the entire nail. I have known a couple friends who had an awful time when they were taken off ruining their natural nails until they completely grew out. Nope….not doing that.

When I had my hair trimmed a couple weeks ago, the stylist I always go to had moved to a new location. Next to her station was a woman who does nails….a woman whose native language is English, who makes appointments & doesn’t rush like crazy if another customer comes in the door that she doesn’t want to turn away.

This woman explained how tips work with various options for this nail neophyte. She explained that they will grow out completely in just a few months since they are only glued on about the first 1/8 to 3/16 inch of each nail. She suggested doing something glitzy for the cruise. I figured, “What the hell, do something crazy, Kath! Go for the bling!” Then I went even crazier & had her make them square cut since I’ve never had nails long enough to do square. Probably should have stuck with oval but, hey, might as well go for the gusto, right?

Even though they are long for me, they are probably short by most fingernail standards. But I’ve got to tell you there are sacrifices to be made with longer fingernails. For example, it is not easy to type. I seem to leave out or add letters all the time. Hopefully, I’ll learn how to type better as I practice because this is a necessary part of my life. Otherwise, this may be the only cruise on which I sport fancy fingernails.

Today while going about my day running errands I discovered that getting a credit card out of your wallet could be quite an ordeal. It took me long enough at CVS that it was getting uncomfortable watching me try. I was close to asking the clerk to pull it out for me when I finally got it. Geez! Things like scratching your head or picking up tiny, flat objects can also be a bit challenging. Not to mention that several times today I would catch a glimpse of my long, glittery, purple nails & think, "Whose hands are those?"

Yesterday morning before my appointment, I decided to polish my own toenails. I had a bad experience with a pedicure a few years ago & just do my own. But it is getting harder & harder. Removing the old polish isn’t easy since pulling my foot up into my lap with the toes facing up is a bit more difficult now days. And when the new polish goes on, it is getting tougher & tougher to see well enough for the detailed brushwork.

I usually sit on the kitchen floor by the sliding glass door for natural light along with the overhead lights on. After the first coat of polish was on one foot my cell phone rang….in the living room. “Damn it!” I exclaimed since it was likely a doctor’s office or home health nurse calling. Remember, I’m sitting on the floor with wet toenails so I can’t slide my foot under me or twist onto my knee without smearing the polish everywhere. By the time I managed to pull myself upright with purple toes intact, my phone had stopped ringing.

About this time, Lou walks in & says, “Your phone is ringing.” I simply replied, “Yes, sweetie, I know.” I called the number back saying I just missed a call from this number. It was indeed, a home health nurse scheduling a visit to my dad. I eased back down to the well lit corner of the floor with my phone close by to finish my toes. I wonder how long I'll be able to contort myself enough to polish my own toenails? Hmmm, when Charley is a little older, maybe I can pay her to do them for me?

STAR WARS FIGURES & MONSTER HIGH GHOULS

Sometime in the mid-1980s, I walked into the Hayward Toys R Us by myself heading straight to the back aisle. I knew exactly where to find the Star Wars toys. Darrin was in school but since the latest shipment of Star Wars figures was due to arrive about 10 AM, I was on my own. It wasn't the first time I was flying solo on the Star Wars quest & it wouldn't be the last.

Darrin was a huge collector of all things Star Wars. Our family room was home to an X-Wing Fighter, a Millennium Falcon, a Rancor, an AT-AT (All Terrain, Attack Transport), Ewoks & lots more. He was able to recreate many scenes from all three of the original Star Wars movies. The small action figures were often his primary focus since they were affordable & plentiful. I'm sure there were well over 100 of them but many were really difficult to find.

Being an involved, somewhat crazy mom, I embraced the search for hard to find action figures. That is what had me heading to Toys R Us after dropping Darrin off at school. It seemed we would never find a few particular figures. I recall the search for "Lando Calrissian in Skiff Guard Disguise" being the pinnacle of action figure nirvana. Months went by without ever finding that particular action figure.

We knew the days & times that new shipments of Star Wars stuff arrived at Toys R Us. It was so popular that often the store employees just put the cardboard boxes filled with various toys & figures in the aisles. That morning I was there sitting on the floor along with a long haired, nerdy teen-ager (not sure why he wasn't in school) searching through the boxes of action figures.

Many of the older teens & adults were collectors & kept the figures sealed in the original package. It was assumed that the resale value would be much higher way in the future if they ever decided to sell the prized possessions. Darrin, on the other hand, played with all of his Star Wars toys & spent countless hours setting up scenes.

As I thumbed through one box, I saw it!!! Lando Calrissian in Skiff Guard Disguise!!! OH....MY...GOD!!! I let out a shriek & grabbed the cherished figure. The long haired, nerdy guy turned & asked, "What did you find?" I exclaimed, "Lando Calrissian in Skiff Guard Disguise!" "Oh, man", he whined, "Are there more?" as he resumed his search. I'm not sure who was more excited when I picked Darrin up from school with the coveted figure in hand!

I just now checked on eBay & there are three "Lando Calrissian in Skiff Guard Disguise" action figures from 1983, unopened in the package. One is listed for $100, another for $129.99 & the other for $165. That doesn't mean anyone will pay those prices but the vintage figures out of the packages were going for $5 to $10.

Fast forward at least 30 years to Charley & Gaga heading to the same Toys R Us for another Monster High doll. To quote Yogi Berra, "It was deja vu all over again." Every time I go to that Hayward Toys R Us, I am reminded of the long ago search for Star Wars figures.  Last week we found a Monster High doll we didn't know about, "The Toralei Garden Ghoul". Neither Charley or I had heard of Garden Ghouls. Toralei had wings & was pretty cool.

The back of the package showed about 6 or 8 more Garden Ghouls & Charley saved it. She placed an "X" next to Toralei & told me she really, really, really wanted the Twyla Garden Ghoul. Gaga stopped at three stores on her drive home but there were no Twyla Garden Ghouls to be found. I did some online research & found that the Garden Ghouls are brand new. I could order it on Amazon but they didn't have a release date yet. Of course, Gaga ordered it!

Explaining the concept that it isn't manufactured yet to a child who is staring at the picture of the doll isn't easy. Hopefully, it will be shipped soon. Charley gets such enjoyment from all her ghouls - they sing, go ziplining, put on shows, do gymnastics, wear each other's clothes & have a wonderful time together. She feeds them tentacles & spider webs for a midnight snack, puts them to bed & reads them stories. Her imagination is endless when it comes to her Monster High ghouls. I just heard they are putting on a fashion show soon.

I am thankful to be reliving my Star Wars days with Darrin as I embrace the Monster High era with his daughter! Lots of fun for a 67 year old grandma - who knew?!!?!

DAY TRIPPIN'

Yesterday we headed out on what began as the "day trip from hell" but turned out to be an almost magical adventure. My 88 year old father & my mother, who died 26 years ago, loved the Northern California coast. They especially enjoyed spending a week two or three times a year in Bodega Bay or Sea Ranch. We were always invited for a weekend visit.

One misty, foggy weekend about 30 years ago, my mother & I took the dog for a walk & discovered a mile long trail near a home they often rented in Sea Ranch, 120 miles north of San Francisco. My dad, my husband at the time & my son had gone out for a day of golfing. Following the hike, my mother & I opened a bottle of wine & settled into the hot tub on the deck. It was one of the best afternoons I had ever shared with my mom. We took the guys on our hike the next day & the whole family made sure to walk that trail each year.

When my mom passed away my dad wanted her ashes scattered along our Sea Ranch trail. With pilots in the family, we easily made that happen. My father has told me often that he wants his ashes scattered along that favorite family trail with her. Darrin & I will make that happen as well when the time comes.

For the first 15 years or so after my mom died, my father made a mini pilgrimage to Sea Ranch to place a flower on the hillside below the trail & get lost in his memories. I went with him often for these day trips along with Darrin or my sister or various friends. His deteriorating health has limited his trips to Sea Ranch these past twelve years.

For the past several years I have been telling him that we would get him up there again but in truth, I was dreading the trip. It is daunting to think about the reality of getting him in & out the car many times, into wheelchair accessible bathrooms & find places he is capable of visiting with his limited mobility.

My incredible son suggested a few days ago that he & Charley could go with me to take him to Sea Ranch. Darrin has wonderful memories of his beloved grandmother & the times they spent together on these frequent mini vacations. My mother's birthday was July 9 - today. To avoid traffic (oh, how naive we were), we planned the day trip for Saturday.

One of my dad's favorite caregivers, John, who lives in Vermont but cared for my dad for two plus years keeps in touch & has made the effort to visit from across the country. It turned out that he was meeting his first grandson in Washington & made the journey south to spend a couple days with my dad. We asked if John was game for a crazy-ass day trip of over 400 miles to Sea Ranch with a 5 year old, an 88 year old & 3 adults - although that term "adults" is debatable. Yep, he was!

Yesterday morning we met Darrin & Charley in Vallejo. After the first of many bathroom breaks, the five of us piled into my dad's 1998 2-door Pontiac Grand Prix. That meant my dad in the front seat with the driver, Charley in her car seat & two others in the back seat. Cozy to say the least - plus the wheelchair, walker & various supplies in the trunk. Charley had some of her Monster High "ghouls", the iPad with movies to watch & assorted toys & snacks. I included towels & garbage bags in case anyone got car sick on the winding coastal roads. Whew, they didn't!

Before even connecting with Darrin & Charley we ran into a decent-sized traffic jam making us 20 minutes late for our rendezvous. It was the first of many. I know that the traffic in the greater Bay Area has definitely gotten worse but I didn't know it extended to Bodega Bay & beyond! I lost count of the number of slow downs & outright stops in the traffic. Ridiculous!

We brought lunch intending to eat it along the coast but Darrin found a park in Petaluma on his iPhone that worked out great. It was already noon & we weren't even halfway there. We had to load up the car, drive two blocks then head into Jack in the Box for a bathroom break. That sounds easy but it is not - piling five people (& four ghouls) into the car & getting everyone's seat belt fastened is not a simple chore. That was when I gave up my original ETA of returning home at 6:30 or 7 PM. 

I was amazed at my motley crew of support on our adventure. My dad was disgusted at the difficulty he was having & sounded ready to say forget it. But Darrin & John really stepped up. Darrin did about 80% of the driving & engaged his Pop in conversations about their memories. John took over getting the wheelchair & walker out of the trunk on every stop & bathroom break. He embraced the job of bathroom help like the true caregiver he is freeing me up to enjoy my time sharing Sea Ranch with Charley.

Since my dad could not climb the few steps up the hillside, we had Charley place the crepe myrtle flower for her great-grandma on the rocks. It was an emotional moment for all. Once we arrived in Sea Ranch, my dad's memories came flooding back & he was in his element. We could tell that he was embracing it all - it didn't matter that many of his recollections were not quite right. We all knew we had done a good thing - a really good thing. We didn't even leave Sea Ranch until 6 PM & none of us cared.

After dinner at McDonald's & dropping Charley & Darrin in Vallejo, we made it back to my dad's around 11 PM - after one more inexplicable traffic jam in Vacaville at 10 PM (WTF?). We had driven 400+ miles & endured a 14-1/2 hour day in cramped quarters. My father was extremely appreciative of what we all did to pull this day off for him. He was truly happy & loved the old memories it brought back for him.

I can tell you that I have never been more proud of my family - my son for taking the reins & making this day trip happen, my granddaughter for being a real trooper spending 9+ hours in the car, our friend who has become family for pitching in & my dad for genuinely expressing his gratitude to all of us willing to share his day.

There was something magical that occurred yesterday. It was a long, tiring day but so worth the effort we all put in to make the day a reality for my dad. I know my father feels blessed to have a family that would do this for him. Sure, I had been kind of dreading this day but ended up feeling that together we all accomplished something special that won't soon by forgotten. And I'm pretty sure my mom was looking down with a smile.

ON A MISSION

Do you ever get somewhat obsessed with a relatively small task that seems to snowball into something that absolutely HAS to be done & it has to be done NOW? I sure hope that a few of you do because otherwise I'm going to feel like a complete nutcase if I'm the only one who goes off the deep end trying to accomplish something that really isn't all that important in the overall scheme of things.

Basically, I've been on a mission these past 3 days to find something similar to the long forks that my parents had back when I was a kid. They were used to roast marshmallows or hot dogs over the barbecue or campfire. There was a red, wooden handle about 18" long with a metal fork, also about 18" long, that slid into the handle making a 3 foot long tool to safely roast the perfect marshmallow.

Over the years they were passed down & I ended up with a couple of these forks as an adult. Now, remember, I first recall using them when I was a kid. That would make them close to 60 years old. Even 20 years ago they were showing a lot of wear but they were family relics. My son roasted many marshmallows on those forks, too. Somehow, they have disappeared, or more likely my ex-husband got them in the divorce.

Darrin & Charley are coming up here for a long Fourth of July weekend to swim, play & shoot off fireworks which are legal here in Sacramento. We are all having a pool party on Sunday with my sister, her husband, my father & his caregiver. Charley has discovered that toasting marshmallows is fun & yummy. So, I decided to get the ingredients to make s'mores for dessert. We will roast them over the barbecue to enjoy a delicious all American treat.

BUT we didn't have any long forks like the old, worn out red ones from years past. I had stopped at a couple stores with no luck at all. I would ask the clerk for "a long fork to roast marshmallows so you don't burn yourself or catch something on fire." Everyone knew exactly what I was looking for but no one had them. I looked online but my searches didn't turn up anything close to what I was looking for.

Yesterday, I decided to make this a true mission & went to Home Depot, Target, Walmart, Lowe's & a few other stores with no luck. Last night I sat down at my computer determined to figure out where I could buy these damn long forks that everyone knew about but didn't carry. This was when it became an obsession!

Finally after at least an hour on the internet, I discovered what they are called - "marshmallow roasting sticks"! When you type "marshmallow roasting sticks" in the search bar, suddenly you find all kinds of amazing devices to roast marshmallows. They come in colors! They retract! They have some that can roast several at a time! They have ones with a small knob to rotate with your thumb for even browning! Who knew?

Now, my problem was that I could order any number of super cool marshmallow roasting sticks online but they wouldn't arrive in time for our pool party on Sunday since it was only two days away. I was more determined then ever to find a store at which to buy them. It wasn't like I didn't have at least ten things I needed to get done instead of traipsing all over Sacramento & Placer Counties looking for these things. But I didn't care, I HAD to have those damn sticks for my Charley to roast her marshmallows for s'mores!

After grocery shopping & lunch with a friend today, I decided to let "my fingers do the walking" - remember that ad campaign? This afternoon (Friday) I called REI - theirs were $12.95 each. I don't think so. Big 5 didn't have any. Bass Pro Shop connected me to the camping department where the woman told me they have several different types in stock that range from $4 each to $10 each. Hallelujah! I was on my way in five minutes.

I am now the proud owner of two state of the art marshmallow roasting sticks that have wooden handles, a retracting metal fork & the little knob that allows you to rotate the fork part with your thumb. I have a bag of marshmallows, a box of graham crackers & six Hershey bars at the ready for my entire family to make some kick ass s'mores on Sunday. Hmmm, maybe Charley & I will test them out tomorrow to make sure they taste good. I guess you can roast a marshmallow over an electric stove, right? I'll let you know.

Happy Fourth of July!

WARRIORS WIN!!!

Even though I have lived in Sacramento for 14 years, I still consider myself a born & raised Bay Area girl. The first 51 years of my life were spent in the East Bay. Those of you who know me are aware that I am a total sports fanatic. There is quite an array of local sports teams to cheer for in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Tonight our Golden State Warriors won their second NBA Championship in the past three years! And barring any major injuries, it sure looks like they have a great chance to win several more. Many experts are calling them a "super team" with more talent than any others in recent history. Time will tell on that one. But for now they are the best & they are fun to watch!

Last year I bought Charley & myself Warriors shirts to wear during the playoffs. Unfortunately, they were beaten in The Finals by the Cleveland Cavaliers (who they beat this year!) after posting the most wins in regular season history. That record lost its luster when they couldn't complete the championship victory. But this year they weren't going to lose having acquired yet another super star in Kevin Durant to compliment Steph Curry, Klay Thompson & Draymond Green.

My son, Darrin, wanted a four generation warrior photo wearing our shirts. He brought his extra large giveaway shirt from last year's playoff game that he attended for my dad to wear. We all watched the first finals game together. Lou was our photographer for what Darrin called the "Four Generation Dub Nation" collection.

Here we are before the first victory! Four generations of Warrior's fans - ages 5 to 88!

Darrin has been adding photos to Facebook this past couple of weeks. Those of you on Facebook have probably already seen these but I know many of you aren't & wanted to share them.

We were all optimistic that the Warriors would emerge victorious & took this photo before the first game. Tonight Darrin put it on Facebook as the Warriors won the NBA Championship & became "Number One!"

We have been so blessed to be sports fans in the San Francisco Bay Area. If my memory & Wikipedia are correct here are the various championships dating back to the early 70s. It's been quite a ride!

Oakland Athletics - I was a huge fan when the A's moved here in the late 60s. They won three World Series in 1972, 1973 & 1974, adding one more in 1989 when they beat the San Francisco Giants in the "Earthquake Series".

Oakland Raiders - This is the only Bay Area team that I really don't like (okay, I hate them!) It all stems from my dislike of their previous owner, Al Davis. And the fact that their fans tend to be thugs. But they still won Super Bowls in 1977 & 1981.

San Francisco 49ers - Their run of five Super Bowl victories in 1982, 1985, 1989, 1990 & 1995 was the highlight of my Bay Area sports fandom. After so many years of bad teams & tough losses those wins were pure heaven. I swore I would never complain again after what they did in the Bill Walsh/Joe Montana era. I haven't complained but I've had to bite my tongue a lot.

San Francisco Giants - I recall my dad taking me to Giants night games at Candlestick Park when it was freezing cold back in the early 60s. Lou was a huge Giants fan & since I met him 16 years ago, I've reverted back to the old days & am once again a total Giants fan. Their three World Series wins in 2010, 2012, & 2014 have been amazing. We try to plan a trip each year around seeing the Giants play in other cities. So far we are at 10 & counting.

Golden State Warriors - Now our Warriors have joined the cavalcade of Bay Area sports championship teams. We attended Warrior games when they were lousy even purchasing mini-season tickets back when Darrin was around 13. The current Warriors players & coaches are amazing. I can't wait to see what this Bay Area team accomplishes in the years to come! 

A fun thing to do: If you haven't seen it, go to YouTube & search "Steph Curry Carpool Karaoke". I defy anyone not to grin while watching Steph sing "Moana" & "Love is an Open Door" with James Corden.

PERSPECTIVES ON AGING

"I yam what I yam & that's all what I am, I'm Popeye the Sailor Man.

I'm strong to the finich, 'cause I eats my spinach, I'm Popeye the Sailor Man!"

Those of you who are around my age might remember the old "Popeye, the Sailor Man" cartoons from the 50s & 60s or earlier (if not, you can just go ahead & think I'm a little off my rocker - which I am). For some reason that old song that Popeye always sang after he ate his can of spinach & made short order of the bad guys has always stuck in my head. The whole thing was completely politically incorrect but most things were back then.

This evening it was the "I yam what I yam" part that had my mind spinning in regards to my "Thoughts on Aging" blog post last week. I heard from a lot of you - mostly women - in response to that blog who were feeling the same things. Apparently, there is quite a camaraderie between all of us old folks as we make our way through senior citizenship.

I so much want to be okay with the years adding up, with a few extra pounds & with some more wrinkles. I want to say to myself, "I am what I am", AND, here's the trick, really believe it. Our world is so geared to youth & vitality & wanting to look like a super model - not that I ever did but somewhere inside, I felt it. Years ago I recall Tyra Banks on a campaign to stop the unrealistic goals of young girls & women saying, "They think everyone should look like Tyra Banks. Hell, most of the time I don't even look like Tyra Banks."

My hope is that all of us "fourth quarter women" can truly say "I am what I am" & be proud of the fact that every ache, every pain, every wrinkle, every pound, every gray hair, every year was born of a lot of life well lived & a ton of people well loved.

My Charley doesn't care if Gaga has an extra roll or two around her middle when we snuggle up under a blanket to watch TV or read. She doesn't think twice if the selfie we take shows Gaga's wrinkles under her chin. She cares about the love & comfort & safety she feels with Gaga's arms around her.

My Darrin doesn't care that his mom has most definitely turned into a grandma over the years - at least I don't think he does. He cares that I am there for him unconditionally, always, for anything. He posted some wonderful Mother's Day thoughts & photos on my Facebook page which warmed my heart more than he knows, reinforced my beliefs & made me cry. If you haven't seen them, check out my Facebook. 

My Lou would love it if I wasn't turning into an old lady before his eyes but I hope that he, too, accepts that time does indeed take its toll on each one of us. He still gives me heartfelt cards for every occasion & tells me he loves me daily after almost 16 years together. Sharing a history with each other is what matters.

The point I want to make is that I believe each of these three most precious people in my life love me for who I am on the inside, not the outside. I can't control the outside or the passing of time, but I can control the caring & loving from the inside. As I've aged I think my capacity to love has increased tremendously. Grandchildren give you a perspective on unconditional love & aging that nothing else can.

As time ticks by, I will do my best to embrace every single sign of aging - wrinkles, aches, pounds, gray hair - because although it may all show on the exterior, on the inside I still feel young, vital & thrilled to be a part of this wonderful life. Somewhere inside there remains a fucking amazing super model that is grinning from ear to ear & thinking, "Eat your heart out Tyra Banks! You aint' got nothing on me, girl. I yam what I yam!"

THOUGHTS ON AGING

This was actually written three days ago but I will leave it as it was when I typed these words that evening.

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I am feeling old tonight & let me tell you, it is not a lot of fun. I am 67 years old. It seems that in the past I could always justify the fact that my current age wasn’t really that old. When you are 45, it’s easy to say, hell, I’m only halfway through this life. Or when you are 50, everything still seems to work okay & you can do most things - & you still look pretty damn good in a bathing suit. Even 55 doesn’t seem all that old. But, son of a bitch, there is no way to convince yourself that 67 isn’t THAT old. Shit, I’m already seven years older than my mother when she passed away.

Tonight's melancholy was brought on by the death of an old friend of forty plus years from my skydiving days. Dave & I had reconnected a little over a year ago via Facebook & email. Like me (& most people our age), Dave didn’t sleep worth a damn. Many nights we would exchange emails in the wee hours of the morning. Dave was in his early 70s & I knew he was battling cancer.

Lou & I took a road trip to Virginia City, Nevada, about two hours away, & spent the day with Dave & his wife last October. It was a great visit & brought back lots of good memories for me. While undergoing chemo, his emails got shorter & less frequent. Dave was always a happy-go-lucky guy so I suspected that things weren’t going well. I found out tonight that he passed away.

My dad always says that all his friends have died. I’ll be damned if that isn’t starting for me now. Dave is the fourth skydiving friend who has died this past year! And three of them were either my age or just a few years older.

As always my mind tends to have a mind of its own. Once the loop starts going around in my brain, I can’t stop it. Things like realizing that in 20 years I will be 87 make me head to the kitchen for another glass of wine! Twenty years is not very long. Charley will be 25 & Darrin will be 61. Those things just boggle my mind. And, of course, that is assuming that I make it well into my 80s. Time is running out. I've heard the analogy comparing a life time to the four quarters of a football game. I am definitely in the fourth quarter of the game.

Looking at my dad’s health at age 88 or Lou’s dad at age 92 & it really hits home at how limited I will likely be in 20 years. Seeing how much Bruni declined before her passing last December at age 89, makes me wonder how many “good” years I’ve got left. And that scares the shit out of me. Where did these 67 years go? I vividly recall the birth of my son 41 years ago when I was a mere 26 year old. Then I wake up one morning & I am 67 years old. How does that happen?

Lately I feel every bit of my age, too. My feet have hurt all the time for years. Chiropractors, acupuncturists, podiatrists & regular doctors haven’t helped. My shoulder has been really sore lately & I didn’t do anything to hurt it. Strange things grow on me. Weight will not go away without starving myself. If I turn my arm a certain way, there are a hundred little wrinkles. And when I look in the mirror, I see my grandmother.

On our recent trip to Washington, DC, we did a ton of walking. It’s been several days & I am still feeling the effects of really sore feet & legs. Even my “younger guy” (by five years) commented that he never used to be bothered by walking miles on a trip but now days that is not the case. Trading foot massages is now a normal part of our vacations. As long as we can still do it (& survive the long plane rides), we will keep on keeping on. But I know that someday, we just won’t be able to handle it anymore. 

In the meantime, I’ll do my best to keep up with Charley & hope that the ravages of time can be held at bay awhile longer. Charley is definitely the best antidote to aging. Lou & I plan to travel as much & as often as possible starting with our next journey to Iceland, Greenland & Norway in August.

The quote “Getting old ain’t for sissies!”, has been attributed to Bette Davis but I'm not sure it has been substantiated. Whoever said it was damn right! BUT it still beats the hell out of the alternative!