Fifteen!

My oldest grandson is now fifteen, with all the joys and struggles that age brings to all of us. Last week he got his learner’s permit and can now drive with an adult in the front seat with him. Highest of highs! But he also has to deal with peer pressure, growing pains regarding authority, blackheads and pimples, and sundry other maladies. I am so glad I am not fifteen!




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Weight Training

I went to see the doctor for my annual physical yesterday. He wants me to drop a few pounds with the aim of lowering my blood pressure a little bit. Having joined the YMCA a few months ago, I had already been exercising more than before. So it should not be too hard to increase my work on the weight equipment and the tread mill. If I add one more day a week working out, it should meet the need.




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I Don't Get It

Most of the time I feel like I am still young enough to enjoy life and try new things. But there are some things that are happening in our society that make me realize I am old and out of touch. I find the lack of civility of speech in public demoralizing. Potty Mouths abound, even among women. I don’t get the trends in body jewelry and tatoos. Those used to symbolize paganism and or rough living. But apparently not any more, at least to the young.




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Land For Sale In Dominica

While I was in Dominica for the annual mission trip to the Caribbean, I was approached by a man who wanted to sell me a piece of property. It was nearly two acres on the side of a mountain, with a wonderful view of the sea. The area is being developed slowly by individuals who have worked overseas, but are now retiring to their homeland. It would be a great place to live, as the cost of living would be within my retirement budget. I may have to check with some mortgage lenders to see if they would be interested in financing the building of a home in a foreign land!




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Proven Weight Loss Method!

I just returned from a two week-long mission trip to the Caribbean island of Dominica. We had a great trip and did some good work. I also found sure-fire way to lose weight, likely even more effective than the proven diet supplement, Phentermine. Each day I walked from ten to twelve miles each day, up and down mountains with a grade of at least 30 per cent. I drank lots of water and local juices. And I lost nine pounds in 14 pounds!




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Never Call Retreat

I just finished the third in the Civil War trilogy of novels written by Newt Gingrich and William Forstchen. The series is very entertaining. The historical work of these two authors is impressive. The depiction of the weight of command in the midst of war is intense and the horror of the carnage in our country’s struggle is gruesome. The strategies are illuminating.

The most fascinating element of the last book, Never Call Retreat, to me was that the Gingricgh and Forstchen brought the war to a close about a year and a half earlier than it happened in history. Their presentation suggested that if the war had ended in the way they depicted, the country would have healed in a much shorter time and the equality of all men would have been a reality at least a century earlier.
If you enjoy good writing and a look into some of the most important people and issues of our society, I would suggest you take the time to read the entire trilogy!





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MP3 Players

I am not one who likes to listen to music all the time so I never thought I would become one of those who walks around every where with their MP3 players on their person and ear phones on their heads. But I recently was given my own MP3 player with 8 gigs of memory. Now I download audio books and listen to them when I walk on the treadmill or when I mow the lawn!





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Video Games

We have been trying to keep our grandsons who live with us from being enamored with video games. But when we joined the new YMCA in our neighborhood, the boys were introduced to some of the more kid friendly games. Then recently one of their cousins received a playstation 3 for his birthday. I am afraid our days of being video game free are almost over!





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Job Searches

My young friend has two degrees in engineering, one in bioengineering. He has most recently working at NASA on a sleep research project. That project has been completed and so has his position. He would like to stay in the Houston area, but he has put out St. Louis, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco resumes, trying to broaden his potential for a job in short order.




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Effects of Sleep Apnea

My wife has been concerned about my sleep habits for several years. She recently asked her doctor about the fact that sometimes I may go thirty seconds or more without breathing when I am asleep. The doctor told her I should be tested for sleep apnea. She said that the lack of enough oxygen to the brains and other organs could be very dangerous. She said not only would treatment avoid heart attack or kidney failure, but would likely help in weight loss and appetite control. Who knew?




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