Yodit

Last night was my aide Yodit's final time with me before going on vacation for a couple weeks.

I will miss her.

Go Colts

The Colts pounded their second straight opponent yesterday, putting themselves in good shape in their division.

Neither team they beat is very good, but the Colts seem to be getting on a roll.

Squirrels

I've sometimes seen a little animal scoot by my patio.  It has moved so quickly I couldn't tell what it was.

This week I saw a squirrel go by.  There are some big trees in this complex, so I guess squirrels are to be expected.  Maybe I've been seeing squirrels whip past, though I still think it could've been chipmunks.

Bathroom Strangeness

Three times lately, my urine has missed the toilet and ended up on the floor.

I think I'm doing the same thing each time that I've always done, so I'm not sure what's wrong.  I'll just have to be more careful.

Pirates Are In

My Pirates have made the baseball playoffs for the second year in a row after twenty consecutive losing seasons.

The Pirates did it by getting on a good hot streak.  If they can stay hot into the postseason, who knows what might happen.

Living Till You Die

Dr. Ezekiel Emanual, an architect of the Affordable Care Act, has said recently that he hopes to die at age 75..  He reasons that will give him a nice long life while, hopefully, avoiding a slow mental and physical decline.

Deciding that for himself is one thing; making it public, however, is curious.  Many Americans already think the ACA will ration healthcare. especially to the old and ill, in effect deciding when Americans should die by deciding when the quality of life is no longer worth supporting.  Dr. Emanual's musings will only reinforce the feeling that the ACA seeks to limit healthcare costs by limiting the lifespans of those unfortunates who linger too long in the final twilight.

Sports Weekend

Ball State lost its football game Saturday, but the Colts finally won a game yesterday, and my Pirates are close to locking up a spot in baseball's playoffs.

Overall. I'm pretty happy.

Christmas In September

At Sam's Club this morning, I saw a lighted Christmas tree.

It's still summer, for pity's sake.  Halloween is still weeks away.  Baseball is still in the regular season.  I know retailers love to hype Christmas, but September is really early.

Hawaii

My conference in Hawaii is moving right along in its development.  Buzz Aldrin is scheduled to speak, and Mitch Daniels has been invited.

Daniels is not only president of Purdue-- the mother of astronauts-- but he also recently co-chaired a study of the future of U. S. manned spaceflight.

Clemente

I'm currently watching a show on Roberto Clemente, the great Pittsburgh Pirate outfielder.  He was, and remains, my favorite all time baseball player.

I liked him, way back when, because he was an extraordinary player with a unique style and a flair for the dramatic.  I've learned since he was also quite a man.

Colts Lose Again

The Colts lost a game they probably should have won last night.

They looked better than they did against Denver.  They finally ran the ball effectively.  Unfortunately, Andrew Luck had a bit of an off game.

Easy Weekend

I had an easy weekend just past.  I only had to deal with three aides, all of whom I like and trust.

Hopefully, that will be the pattern for the future.

Grace At Home

The Grace At Home doctor or nurse or whatever was here this morning and decided I needed a new stool softener even though I've never used the stuff that has been here.

It's as if she needed to put her mark on my treatment.  I suppose that's okay as long as they don't order something crazy-- I have no idea why she thought I needed a stool softener-- but a more skeptical person might wonder if they order things for other than medical reasons.

Storm

We had quite a storm here last night.  Heavy rain and consistent lightning ruled for maybe an hour.

I even lost my television for a few minutes.  That might be the first time that's happened since I've lived here.

Kindle

My brother Jeff showed me his Kindle recently, and I'm thinking about getting one.

I have trouble handling thick books, so the Kindle might solve that.

Robert Mathis Out

Robert Mathis, a big key to the Colts defense, is out for the season.

The defense wasn't the strength of the team before this, so Mathis' loss will put more pressure on the offense to score and score and control the ball and score.  I'd say the Colts can still have a good season, but winning the Super Bowl will be tough.

Colts Lose

The Colts again fell way behind early, and this time they couldn't come back to win.

You'd think the guys would be getting tired of this pattern.  They need to blow somebody out.

Tiffany

My aide Tiffany told me she was ill earlier this week and even went to the hospital.  She certainly seemed under the weather.

I had visions of her passing out while I was on the toilet, but everything went okay.

NFL

The NFL regular season opens tonight with a game between the Packers and the defending champion Seahawks.

Preseason disasters notwithstanding, I think the Colts have a reasonable shot at the Super Bowl.

Four Years Ago

Four years ago this week my life changed.  I urinated blood, which led to the discovery of my bladder cancer, and my life has been on a different path since.

Hopefully, the next four years will be calmer.

Fireworks In August

Sunday night somebody was setting off fireworks around my place.  I didn't see them, but I heard them.  It lasted about twenty minutes.

Who knows why it was being done.

Cook Out

My siblings and I got together for a cook out Saturday, and we had a good time.  It still felt a little odd not to have Mom with us, though.

My sister hasn't had cancer, but three of the four brothers have, and both our parents essentially died from it, so it's good to get together.