Mo' Betta Birthday!

Note: This is another blog based on my weekly emails to my family on the mainland. Since much of my news these days relates to trying to age gracefully, this series might be called The Geezer Gazette.]

7/19/25

 

Aloha Everybody!

 

The biggest news of the week here is that Tuesday was my xx-st [content censored] birthday.  I am pleased to report that it was, as we say here,"way mo' betta" than a year ago.  On my last birthday you may recall that I was rudely reminded that the human body has an expiration date, and that Nature doesn't really care what your plans may be. We were in Canada at the beginning of a bucket-list trip to spend time in the beautiful Canadian Rockies.  The plan was to fly to Vancouver for a few days, then take the overnight train to Jasper and from there make our way to Banff, enjoying the dramatic scenery and idyllic countryside as we traveled by car. From Banff we were going to fly to the contrasting Arches National Park in Utah, a starkly different area of natural wonders.  However, my birthday celebration was quickly muted by (a) getting Covid, (b) having a sudden downturn in my vision, (c) experiencing an allergic reaction to something unknown that made my tongue swell up and my feet and hands itch like crazy, (d) becoming dehydrated to the point of passing out at the beginning of our first hike, (e) winding up in the Jasper ER and being diagnosed with persistent Atrial Fibrillation, (f) arriving in the Canadian Rockies during an episode of wildfires that filled the air with smoke, closed off some scenic areas, and destroyed a big part of Jasper the day after we left.  We shortened our trip and flew home, where I quickly became involved with more physicians and medical tests in a couple of months that I had encountered in my entire life to that point.

 

This year was far more pleasant.  Most of my medical issues have either stabilized (heart, eyes), or are moving in a positive direction (hernia surgery).  Last week I was treated to two early and unplanned birthday presents -- shows featuring lava fountains and Formula 1 cars.  On Tuesday I wanted to keep things simple and low-key, and it worked out great.  The birthday card Karen gave me captured my goals

Birthday Dreaming

beautifully -- the cover featured a bear snoozing contentedly in a tree, the epitome of taking it easy. For my lunch restaurant I chose one of my favorite guilty-pleasure places -- Taco Bell (!).  The rest of the day featured a dip in the pool and a couple of naps.  Dinner was at home because I really didn't want the hassle of going to one of our several high-end places in Kona.  The menu was a combo of my favorites:  a rare steak that I cooked to perfection on my grill, al dente angel hair pasta with truffle oil (purchaaed during our last trip to Europe) topped with lots of freshly ground Parmesan cheese, a side of buttered peas, and a mixed salad that included greens from our garden sprinkled with bits of Gorgonzola cheese.  No fancy wine, but instead one of my favorite beers, an Imperial Pale Ale that paired perfectly with the pasta.  I was a very happy birthday boy!  On Wednesday evening our neighbors treated us to dinner at Ola Brew Pub here in town, which has another of my favorite beers, a hazy Ipa called "Mo' Hazy."  This is a low-key, informal place that fit my birthday preferences perfectly.

 

To top things off, Karen gave me the perfect geezer birthday present -- a FitBit Charge 6 wrist band. This high-tech marvel monitors my heart rate, heart rhythm including Afib, exercise level, stress level, sleep quality, temperature variation, breathing rate, toenail growth, halitosis level, hair loss, dental hygiene, etc, etc., etc.  Now I can really be obsessed with health issues! Think of the ammunition I'll have during those geezer-guy get-togethers.....

 

In other news, our crappy weather has continued for yet another week.  We're on track to have a fourth consecutive month in which our p.v. system doesn't cover our usage.  This is unprecedented and getting really, really, old.  Despite the cloudiness, our pool temperature has stayed in the acceptable range, though some days we have to go in during the rain.  I've not read any clear explanation of what might be causing this pattern, nor how much longer it might last.  I just hope it's not the new normal. And of course I can still console myself with the fact that the weather in many other parts of the world is much worse right now.

 

Carpe Vitam. Enjoy your summer.  As things heat up, I find myself yearning for the good old days when "ICE" was just something we put in drinks to make them cold...