THE POPE’S VISIT

The Old Rusty Nail

AN E-JOURNAL FOR OLD PEOPLE

Russell Burton, an Old Person

As I write this it is October 2015 and Pope Francis has just finished visiting the U.S. Before his arrival and especially during his visit there was great concern about his safety for more people are killed with guns in this country each year than probably all the other advanced countries in the world. And, for good reason we own more guns than all the people in the world.  I have heard that there will be more protection efforts for him than any other dignitary who has visited in the past. How interesting that a man of peace needs to be so protected.

Of course he is aware of these concerns and when asked about that possibility he remarked “…at my age I don’t have much to lose...”.  A rather profound statement and only one which can be appreciated by us old people for we all understand that dying for us is part of living and is not nearly as tragic as some young person dying.  You know all of those young soldiers killed in useless wars.

I do not have any religious convictions though there are numerous religions to choose from. Still it was fun for me to watch and listen to this person for he is wise and of course a special kind of dignitary. A special dignitary indeed for he was welcomed getting off his plane by President Obama and his family. And, as the religious leader of some 350 billion people throughout the world he has considerable political power.

Some of the fun is to watch people watching the Pope as he drove through DC in his little Fiat.  He rides in this little car instead of a huge limousine because he likes to be thought of as a spokesman for the poor. And, he is and I like that…  Of course the Fiat is made in Italy next door to his country the Vatican and with its size it can be carried in his plane. I assume his little car has not been made bullet proof such as the President’s huge limousines which each weigh several tons. Of course this speaks once again to our gun insanity.

 Of course the TV is constantly covering his visit which to me became tiresome and a bit boring after a while. He addressed our Congress which had the news media and I am sure members of Congress in suspense for he said what he wanted to say and since he is a spokesman for the poor some of his speech was politically incorrect.  He noted the importance of climate change to humankind, our immigration issue, and the huge gap here between the rich and the poor who use to be called ‘middle class’.  The Republicans did not like those concerns so they were generally quite but did cheer when he talked about the Catholic stand against abortion.  Of course no Republican yelled out that he ‘lies’ like one of them did to our President.   

There is something about abortion which I too dislike for it is killing a live fetus which could have lived and become a human; perhaps President of the United States.  Who knows…  Still, I justify this act because the mother and too the father at times do not wish it to live so what kind of life would it have?  Interestingly, Republicans want the fetus to live but have no interest in its future immediately after it is born and may well need financial help.

This Pope is trying to bring the Catholic Church into the 21^st century. He has addressed to some degree several ‘sins’ which the church had embraced for centuries. These are abortion, gay marriage, and divorce.  Even though they are still considered against church rules, those who have committed these serious sins are able to seek absolution. Even though 79% of Catholic members accept these changes some ultra conservatives do not agree.

Absolution is not a new activity in the Catholic Church for a person could pay the Church a hefty sum to obtain it but it was doable. The doctrine has not changed just the money handlers in the Church.

Its fight with science over evolution was resolved in the 1990's much to my surprise when Pope Paul accepted the science of evolution by finding that it did not conflict with the teachings of the Bible. Of course resolving those conflicts with the Bible is not difficult for the word of the Bible can be meant to say most anything.

He skipped the special luncheon they had for him after his speech but chose to eat downstairs with the staff people.  Good for him…  Interestingly and quite profound visits by dignitaries usually have little to no impact after they leave.  But, the next day the Speaker of the House, John Boehner, resigned from the House.  Wow… He is a very religious Catholic and the Pope’s address got him thinking about the turmoil he has had as Speaker.  And, I saw a Republican Senator on TV denounce climate change as a hoax but then say that we need to invest more in non-carbon energy technologies.  Okay…

The Pope’s last stop was Philadelphia where he visited a prison and talked with some of the prisoners who of course were stunned.  Whether this activity will change their minds and behaviors is something to be seen in the future.

He also denounced the Bishops who hid the pedophile crimes of the clergy saying that they will be held accountable.  Once again we will see.

A couple of days after he left the United States it was revealed that he had had a conversation with Kim Davis who was the Kentucky clerk who had denied to give marriage licenses to Gay couples.  She told the press that she had a 15-minute conversation with the Pope who congratulated her on her stand supporting the Bible’s stand on Gay marriage.  The Vatican did not deny this conversation but noted that it was not a personal conversation but part of a group activity. 

Then word came out that he had a personal conversation with a long-time friend who is gay.  So, now that this has come out with photographs and lots of grinning I am relieved that he is in support of gays.  Interesting there were no photographs of the Pope with Kim Davis so her story has much less credibility

Still, I am embarrassed though that out country is so well known about our gun violence. Certainly this country has a fixation on guns. I guess about 30% of Americans own guns of some type.  Most I suppose are for hunting but there are millions of these guns called assault weapons which are made for killing people.  Why people buy these things, and they are not cheap, is fascinating and a bit scary for they shoot rounds at an amazing rate with clips which hold 30 or more bullets.  And, I am sure these shells cost a considerable sum of money.

Recently we have had many killings by people who are considered insane as if simply killing a person is not an insane act.  Those people against any kind of gun control and they are in a minority agree that crazies should not have guns but without any sensible gun controls.  Go figure…

I wish he would talk about gun control here but probably not even though it would be most appropriate considering all of the efforts and expense spent in keeping him safe.

Of course, the Pope after numerous appearances and addresses all with great fanfare gets on his plane and flies home much of what he said is clearly forgotten except of course the resignation of the Speaker of the House of Representatives which put the GOP into some turmoil.   

9/15

TEN REASONS TO KEEP FIT AS YOU AGE

The Old Rusty Nail

AN E-JOURNAL FOR OLD PEOPLE

Russell Burton, an Old Person

I ran across this article which I had forgotten I had saved a couple of months ago while I was still in Western New York State where I live during the summer.  Many times in this Blog, I have written about my summer stay there in my condo in Westfield NY on Lake Erie and attending the Chautauqua summer 9-week program.

This article which appeared in the August 21 2015 issue of the Chautauqua Star, a local newspaper, in the Health section naturally caught my eye for I have written several articles on the importance of regular physical exercises in us old people.  I liked the words in the title ‘… as you age’ used instead of the word ‘old’. Yet, it is indeed for us old people staying fit although words which indicated that this was the intended audience were few and far between.  ‘…deteriorate with age’ was used once; ‘older adults’ was used twice; and finally a reference to the ‘NIH National Institute for Aging’ suggested that the article was aimed at us old people.  Oh yes, a picture showed four relatively aged people all smiling holding up weights.

By the way, I have found the National Institute for Aging a wonderful source of information in support of us old people.  All you have to do to enjoy those benefits is bring it up on the Web and join.  It is free and immediately various topics on aging are provided to you on the Web on nearly a daily basis.

Back to the article, I found few new thoughts on this very important topic regarding the importance of physical fitness in us old people. Still its importance cannot be overstated so I will review it for my readers even though much of it I have previously written.

Like I said reference to us-aged people was rarely mentioned in this article so as is the case a good physical fitness regimen is important to adhere to during our entire lifetime.  So, like mentioned in all of these types of articles, it is never too old to start.  Of course, obtaining your physician’s permission might be in order. 

I began my physical activities at the local gym when I retired at the age of 68.  Of course, as I progressed I did indeed become stronger which became somewhat of an obsession to continue to increase my strength using heavier weights.  This desire became ridiculous when I decided I was an old person at the ripe old age of 80.  I have written previously about this metamorphosis in my aging process which did cause me to change my approach to living including working out at the gym. 

Now what is important here to note is that I only changed my approach to these exercises. Simply instead of trying to increase my strength I decided to reduce the weights I used to levels which were about half of what I had previously used and dramatically slowed the duration of each exercises rep to where I take twice as long to perform one rep.  Of course the physical work remains the same for it is a function of the duration of the exercise.  And, I think using less weight when a person gets old is an important safety factor.

This approach has been successful in maintaining my muscle mass and strength.  Of course, like this article and every other article on physical conditioning, bone density is increased or at least maintained.  Maintaining bone density is very important for us old people because among many other benefits, when we fall (and we will) we won’t break bones. It was reason number one in this article as it should be.

Reason 2 was that it keeps a person fit thus reducing the possibility of becoming disabled. Now, that makes sense.

Reason 3 noted that exercising increases metabolism thus keeping us from getting fat.  I see few old people who I would call fat.  Interestingly, in a previous article I noted in my Blog that in one study being a bit overweight was helpful in reaching the age of 90.

Reason 4 stated that exercises helped to reduce falls by improving balance and muscle strength.  The former is very important for like I have noted before, balance in us old people needs lots of help for it declines significantly as we experience advancing years.  Now, of course these exercises aimed at our balance are quite different than what I would include in working out at the gym.

 

I have an article from NIH National Institute on Aging which suggests some ten-specific exercises helpful in improving balance which can be done at home.  The two I use twice daily is standing on one leg for ten seconds ten times with as little assistance as possible such as touching the back of a chair with only one finger.  Eventually no support is necessary and then it is attempted with eyes closed.  I have not gotten that far yet. My other balance exercise is walking a straight line putting one foot in front of the other foot.  Not easy…

Reason 5 is the maintenance of flexibility.  At the gym, I work out on a machine for that purpose going through ten types of stretches. Of course just putting your shoes on and tying the laces is a form of flexibility.

Reason 6 is the social aspect of it.  You know meeting friends or going to the gym with an acquaintance.  Here I disagree for I see friends at the gym chatting for over an hour instead of lifting weights.  I do have friends there but I smile and say hi and get on with my exercises.

Reason 7 suggests that exercise is good for a person’s mood.  By that, it means that it is good for the mind, reduces depression, and improves your sense of what you can do.  I have read previously that keeping one’s mind sharp must include some form of physical exercise.  That is, just challenging the mind with mental exercises is not enough.

Reason 8, 9, and 10 were lumped together as a kind of summary which emphasized that with age comes physical deterioration of all body functions that can be greatly slowed with exercise.  The four major exercises stressed included: Endurance, Strength Training, Balance and Stretching. 

The conclusion included the following tips for success:

• ·        Schedule your exercise times as you do your daily activities.
• 
  
• ·        Start slow, increasing your physical activities when it feels right.
• 
  
• ·        Persuade a friend to workout with you for it supports motivation.  I have found this not necessary and I think in my case would not be helpful.
• 
  
• ·        Use different weights at times to prevent boredom.  I have done the same exercise regimen for nearly 16 years and I am never bored.
• 
  
• ·        Use various other physical approaches in one’s daily activities such as parking further than necessary to go to your destination. In a sense, I do that for I do not look for the nearest parking place. Take the stairs not the elevator was another suggestion.  I usually do that and I think this also helps with balance. I attempt to walk both up and down the stairs without holding on to the banister.  Of course my hand is right there just above the banister in case I begin to fall.
• 
  

Of course, the number one factor in all of this is motivation. The best example of regular physical workouts can be found in football players.  Most everyday they spend many hours in the gym working out to get stronger.  Of course that is their job which if professionals involves loads of money. 

Certainly we can find motivation enough to work out a few hours each week in order to maintain a reasonable form of quality of life! And, motivation is inspired by just doing it on a regular basis like an hour a day for four days a week.  Personally, I find that if I develop a schedule, then I can stay with it.  But, of course it takes a couple of weeks to make those exercise activities routine as it becomes part of a person’s life. 

T   There is no doubt that these exercises take physical effort and sitting in an easy chair in the living either reading a good book or watching TV is a lot easier.  But, when you do that you are acting like a sissy and being old is not for sissies.  

I     If you insist on reading a good book, I suggest my e-book “Mary’ a thrilling horror adventure.  But to find it on Amazon you must include my name Russell Burton. It costs $5.99, a reasonable price for such a great story.

10/15

KNOWING HOW TO DO IT…

The Old Rusty Nail

AN E-JOURNAL FOR OLD PEOPLE

Russell Burton, an Old Person

I just finished having installed new granite countertops in my kitchen.  In the process the plumbing had to be disconnected from the old countertops.  Of course this meant that when the next countertops were in place the plumbing had to be reconnected. 

Now this activity did not appear to be much of a challenge for me because I know a considerable amount about plumbing in fact I installed the existing plumbing.  Oh I forgot, I installed those fixtures about ten years ago when I was a young 72.

Well disconnecting the plumbing from the old countertops was not that difficult ten years ago.  You know getting down on my knees and then lying face up with my head under the sink. Now that has become much less easy at my age of 82.  Still throwing caution to the wind, I was able to disconnect the PVC plumbing from the garbage disposal and the other sink drain.  Of course the water lines which would be reused for the new faucets were disconnected to find one leaked so that had to be replaced.

 So, off to the Home Depot to get a new cut off valve where I was told you might need a new compression attachment which meant cutting off the old one from the copper tubing.  Nothing ain’t easy but the new valve did not leak and without all of that major surgery I had what was to become the easiest part of this job.

The countertop guys arrived asking if the stuff was disconnected.  A resounding ‘YES’ put smiles on their faces for I guess sometimes they have to wait while the work is done.  And, like all capitalists say ‘time is money’.  And, these guys work for a no none sense entrepreneur which of course is a small business capitalist who does and must watch every penny. I know for I was one once.

It wasn’t long and they had ripped out the old countertops laying bare the collapsed plumbing.  I had to add a couple of wooden support wall boards for the new tops but that was not difficult because I didn’t have to get back down on my hands and knees.

The next day the owner arrived to measure for the new countertop template. Of course this activity is a very important step in the process of building a countertop out of

3 inch - thick granite which is going to fit.  Especially critical is the opening for the double stainless steel sink.

I had elected to use my old sink as a new one would cost me $200.  Now that does not sound like much when the new tops cost about $4000 but you know every penny or rather every two-hundred dollars count.  I should not have been surprised when he said these old sinks will not work.

I frowned when I asked “Why not?”  Well he explained that the granite will be much thicker than the old countertop. So instead of the sink lip sitting on top of the counter top it would have to be placed and attached under the top.  And my old sink was not designed for that kind of installation. After a one-sided discussion it was agreed that I will buy a new sink – one of course which can be attached under the granite. 

So, there goes my $200 down the drain ‘no pun intended’.  After he left I had to go ‘online’ to their specified supplier to pick out the sink I wanted.  This e-stuff always worries me for many times I fail but this time it did work and I picked out the double sink which I wanted.  Well, I didn’t really want it but I had to have it. The new sink like the old is a deep one with a larger sink on the left.  Not much different than my old one which I liked so I was pleased at my selection.

In four days as promised the owner and his crew of two husky men arrived unannounced at 8:30 in the morning with the new granite countertop and sink.  They liked my support wood work which made me proud.  So, they began with the owner measuring, etc. to be sure it would fit.  I asked for the sinks to be taken out of the truck so that I could install the drains before they were put in place.  

Now this idea allowed me to simply attach the plumbing to the new drains without having to do so standing on my head under the sink.  A very clever ploy, I must admit. After about an hour he, the owner said goodbye that the tops fit perfectly and his crew would finish the job.

Early afternoon they left with some instructions on what I had to do like put in place a couple of screws to the dishwasher and of course seal the granite with some liquid I could get at Home Depot.  So, down to my Home Depot I drove and bought a small can of the stuff for $22! 

After carefully applying the liquid as noted on the label, I proceeded to work the plumbing.  I was confident that I could get this done in an hour or so, but I first had to wait while the glue which held the sink in place had dried.  So as instructed after twenty-four hours, the next afternoon I began to replace the plumbing.

First was the garbage disposal which is a large one and very heavy and cumbersome.  Cumbersome because this all takes place on my back looking upward trying to juggle the heavy thing in place so the metal ring can be slid into the sink drain. I had a friend over to help with this installation for it is a two person job.  The idea of course is that I lift and the other person slips the ring into place.

Well this was much easier said than done for it is a very heavy and large garbage disposal. In fact, it was so heavy that lying on my back I could not lift it into place.  I was able to get it on top of a plastic cake cover so that it was within one inch of the drain.  We pried it up the rest of the way with wooden stakes.  But, it had to fit just right or the circular metal lever would not do its job.  With the wooden stakes it was levered into place and it fit!  The circular lever was pushed into place and the garbage disposal was attached to the sink!

Like my Christian helper screamed, “Halleluiah, it’s a miracle”.  I will argue that it was not a miracle but hard work with some luck.  I guess some people will argue that it was not luck but God’s will.  Whatever…

After some consternation the facets were in place and fastened to the counter top.  I was tired and my friend had to get home to care for her dog.  Still I was pleased with our progress and looking forward to an hour of work the next day connecting the PVC pipe to the tub drains.  What could go wrong?  I had detached them in a few minutes so reattaching them would not take that much longer.  Right?  No, Wrong!

Of course it would take longer because I had new sinks with drains located differently to each other.  Simply the PVC pipes and P-trap would not fit the new drain locations.  I knew I could make it fit but it would take a great deal of time and several trips to my Home Depot.  Now I understand why professional plumbers come to the job with a big truck full of plumbing fixtures, PVC pipe, and lots of tools. 

By six thirty that evening I had finally bought and cut the needed plumbing supplies so I was able to attach it all to the two drains.  It fit and didn’t leak nor did the water lines to the faucets leak. Very tired and frustrated I had a drink, light dinner and went to bed more tired than I had been in a long time.

The next morning with my aching body all I had to do to complete the job was to put liquid soap into the container I had fitted to the counter top.  But, the pump did not work!  I tried everything but still I could not get soap to come out of the small tube sticking out of the metal pump head.  Very frustrated, I phoned the faucet company for help.  The answer was “Oh they don’t work sometimes, so we will send you a new better one and without charge.”  Wow how lucky can I be.

My point of course is these kinds of home jobs always take more time and effort than planned.  But, with age my frustrations grow much more rapidly and so do the aches and pains.  I can not count the numbers of times I got up and down with great caution holding on to the edge of the counter top to help me stand. 

Yes, I knew how to do it but the time is coming when that will not be enough.  I will not be physically able to do it anymore.  Simply, I will need to hire someone to do something which I know how to do.  That time will be very difficult for me to accept.  But, I know that day is coming.

4/14

BIOLOGICAL VS CHRONOLOGICAL AGE

The old rusty Nail

AN E-JOURNAL FOR OLD PEOPLE

Russell Burton, an Old Person

I ran across a news article the other day noting that biological age may have something to do with a longer-life span.  Many articles ago in this blog I wrote about the importance of biological age as a better measure of age than simply ‘years of age’.  Certainly, we see people of the same age who look much older or younger than their real age and I suspect that their looks are a good indicator of their biological age. Interestingly, we always compliment a person on how young they look, never how much older a person looks than their chronological age. I guess this is an intuitive sign that aging is not a good thing.

In this regard, age is welcomed at a young age but not so when we get older. In my late teens I would use a fake ID which showed me to be older to get into a bar to buy a drink or a pack of cigarettes. Now, when someone tells me that I do not look like I am 83 well 83 and a half, I smile for I take it is as a complement.  And, I let them know that I not just 83 but I am getting closer to 84!

When I was a young boy I was always pleased to be considered older than my chronological age older because I was small for my age until I was 15 years old and I wanted to be a young man. Like now, I was not just 6, I was 6 and a half. You know more like a man.

Now, this news article mentions ‘looks’ as a criterion of biological aging but then sites a couple of university studies one which seriously measured this type of aging using several physiologic, physical and anatomic parameters plus cognition.  One-thousand subjects were involved in one of these studies with surprising results. When the group reached 38 years of age their biological ages ranged from 30 to nearly 60 years.  What is meant by ‘nearly 60’ was not explained.

Of particular interest to me were those physical activities which I have not found to be somewhat challenging in my 80s were showing up already in some of those subjects who were only 38 years of age! These were called ‘basic tasks’ such as climbing stairs and carrying groceries. I would assume that their balance had also deteriorated some which I find at times difficult for me to handle.

Now the study found that cognition was negatively affected in those people who had aged more rapidly which was assumed to be a normal result of aging.  I certainly disagree with that assumption as I have noted in previous blogs. Of course, I agree with some of their other findings for I am experiencing them in my aging process but not any loss of cognition.  In regard to physical aging, I recently read of a woman who is 90 having just completed a marathon race. I suppose she thinks that physical problems are not a natural aging process. Of course, she will eventually have these physical problems but at a much older age.

This article concludes by suggesting that previous studies on aging had used older people beginning with the age of 50 whereas this aging process begins at a much younger age.  I agree with that assumption but then it was suggested that by determining a faster aging process in younger people that would allow for ‘…prevention of age-related diseases, opening a new door for anti aging therapies’.  Unfortunately, no anti aging therapies were identified. Of course, this aspect had to be considered for the writers to show somehow that their findings could affect life span.

The conclusion also suggested that by determining the biological age of an individual their level of health would be measured with a single number. This number might be used to assess the health of a community.  I don’t believe that this idea will catch on.  You know having a 38 year old woman accept her age as 60. 

Certainly applying anti aging therapies at a younger age would make them more effective but what exactly are these therapies?  I would guess that one of them includes ‘working out’ at a gym.  I do that which I have written about previously and I think it has helped me physically and my muscle mass has remained pretty much intact. My chest muscles, you know my ‘pecks’ are still visible.

Besides lifting weights I do my stretching exercise which I find helpful in putting on my socks and shoes. Twice a week at the gym, I get on the stationary bike and pedal for 30 minutes as my aerobic exercise.  It lets me know that I have just pedaled over 5 miles which of course is a lie for I have not moved one inch.

As I mentioned balance is a problem which I find at times troubling and it seems to be progressing more rapidly than I expected.  I understand that this malady is because the sensory aspects of the soles of my feet are wearing out. I do agree with that take on it for I find wearing thin sole shoes helps me with balance.  And, walking on a hard surface allows me more freedom of balance than walking on a thick carpet.

Now, I do have more difficulty going on walks than I did a few years ago and with some pain especially in my hip area.  This pain is annoying but not debilitating.  Still, pain makes walking less fun so I do it less often and for shorter distances.  So, it is important to challenge these aging problems with more walking such as parking further away from the grocery store entrance. Of course, this is not natural for most everyone tries to park as close as possible. Even parking at the gym finds most cars as close as possible to the front door.  How strange…

I am now, for the summer of 2015 living in my condo on Lake Erie in Western New York where I attend the summer session of the Chautauqua program.  This activity requires considerable walking which is good for me. I suppose each day I go there I walk about 2 miles.  Now sometimes I catch a bus from the parking lot to the Grounds which shortens my walk by half.  I use to wave the bus driver off when he stopped to pick me up but sometimes if I am hurting I accept the ride. When I do this I remember my uncle who would visit me here a few years ago.  He is ten years older than I. After a few yearly visits he declined my invitation noting that he was holding me back in our walks from the parking lot. Of course, in reality the walk hurt him too much. I did not understand then but I do now.

The science I reported on was not as informative as I would have liked it to be for I wanted to learn more about this biological aspects of this aging process I am now experiencing.  You know, let me in on some secrets on how I can do it better. Regarding the faster biological aging process nothing was noted regarding aging habits which we all know affects aging such as smoking tobacco. It is well known that smoking causes a drying of the skin which results in more wrinkles especially on the face. And, exposure of skin to the sun can cause more wrinkling.

The study cited did not mentioned if it had controlled for these things nor did it get into sleep and work habits all of which I think would have some effect on aging.  And, what about nutrition although I think diet is over played in aging; you know paying more for ‘organic foods’.

As a scientist I would have thought this study would have controlled for some of these parameters. So, this study really raised more questions than answers. In that regard, I was disappointed in it but it did reinforce my thoughts on this subject for I am sure we all have been shocked how old someone appeared when we hadn’t seen that person for a few years.  And, how little some people have aged; you know, ‘You haven’t aged a day since I saw you last!’

On the other hand, we never say even though we think ‘Oh my god how old you look what happened? Have you been sick or something?” You know looking old suggests that being sick had something to do with it. Yep, people do not want to look older that they are except when they were young kids wanting to grow up to be more like dad and mom.

8/15

LONG TRIPS ARE TIRING FOR OLD PEOPLE

The old rusty Nail

AN E-JOURNAL FOR OLD PEOPLE

Russell Burton, an Old Person

I just returned from a two-week trip from my home in San Antonio, Texas to several locations on the West Coast.  It was not a difficult trip.  By that I mean, things went pretty much as planned and I do plan well.

My plans are well thought out and make loads of sense.  That is I do not put a lot of activities into short periods of time as I use to do.  And, when it comes to driving each day I make sure that I have made motel reservations so that I am compelled to stop when I reach that motel.

Not many years ago when I got into my car to begin a long trip, I would drive for many hours, usually until it got dark and I would start fairly early in the morning.  That is I would drive for twelve hours or more each day.  It would not be uncommon for me to drive 800 miles or more in one day.  To make things even more tiring I would stop infrequently at rest stops and would take along snacks, fruit, and nuts for my lunch.  That is I would not stop for lunch.

Well, I don’t do that anymore.  In fact I try not to drive more than seven hours with at least an hour break for lunch.  And, yes I stop at most rest areas. So, in order for me to accomplish such an easy trip, I make reservations at motels for those six-seven hour driving days.

Even so, after a couple of weeks of traveling with two time zones thrown in when I got home, I was not at the top of my game.  I slept okay, but I was not ready to expend much work and effort for several days.  For instance, I did not get right back into the gym training thing for a few days.  I just didn’t feel that ambitious yet I was not particularly tired. 

As the days pass, I always begin to want to do some things so I know I am getting back to what I will call ‘normal’.  Well normal for someone in his 80s.  Certainly normal for me now is not what normal use to be like when I was much younger.

Years ago, upon my return from a long trip frequently from overseas with several time zones thrown in I would immediately get right back to work doing things unfinished when I left.  But, not anymore!  And, it takes me a while to understand what is going on.  Oh, yes I just returned from a trip and I am not up to my usual par.  This has happened to me several times before of course.  It usually takes about two weeks to get back to my normal activities.

This trip was a first for me in which I used my newly purchased Magellan Road Mate.  I have a friend who uses a Garmin and really enjoys it.  He has used it a few times with me driving and it worked well.  Was not the shortest way to get to where we wanted to go but it did work.

So, when I had an opportunity to buy something like it on sale for less than $100, why not?  I used it in my home area to get used to it so I was ready to give it a whirl on this trip.  I was so certain that it would work I didn’t take a road map with me!  Well that was dumb.

What I am noting here is that my first experience was not a good one, for it failed on the first day to take me to where I had directed it to go.  Fortunately, I was going to a friend’s house so I phoned him for directions.  He told me that yes the Magellan does not work for his address.  He had phoned them about the problem but they never fixed it.  And too, it directed me a very long distance to his house before it quit.  And, it just quit without any warning.  The woman’s voice didn’t say goodbye or that she was lost.  It just quit!

With that uneasy beginning I proceeded on the remaining parts of my trip still relying on my Road Mate. As I got more experience with it, I found it to be useful.  Still, it took me on routes to places which might have been the shortest but was certainly not the simplest.  So, will I trust it and not take a simple road map anymore?  No!!!

My trip took me to my 1956 Veterinary Class Reunion in Palm Springs.  Yes, my 1956 graduation – some 58 years ago! Rejoining my old classmates is always an interesting experience.  I note interesting because it has both ups and downs.  The ‘up’ of course is seeing my fellow surviving classmates each year who can make the trip.  I suppose about half of those surviving can not travel anymore and hearing about there poor health is really a downer.

This year one classmate who attended had Stage-4 lung cancer, so this will be his last trip.  Even though he was in some pain he insisted on attending one last time. 

Interestingly, he was the first person I met when I arrived at college as a pre-veterinary major.  He was a World War II veteran and like me was trying to get into veterinary school.  I lost track of him until the first day of veterinary school and there he was a freshman just like me.

I wonder if I was in pain and about to die if I would want to come to our annual reunion.  I guess I would.

Our class was an interesting one as about half were WW II veterans, so they were a few years older.  Obviously most of those attending the reunion are the younger classmates such as me.  This year only six of us made it.  That is not very many when we had 52 graduates. More were supposed to come this year but old-aged heath raised its ugly head which at the last minute made them cancel their trips.

My classmate who hosted us this year became frustrated as he had hoped for more of us to attend.  And at the start of his planning he received many yes’s so he was very excited.  Then the cancellations started coming in and of course that troubled him.  So, next year we plan to take a 3-day cruise.  No planning will be involved.  Those attending will just buy their tickets and we all meet on the deck. 

Maybe I will attend next year.  I hope so but one never knows.

Don’t forget to buy my novel ‘Mary’ on Amazon for $5.99.  Yes, ‘Mary’ by Russell Burton.  It is a mystery with adventure and at the end much terror.  A great read!!!!

As always I can be reached at burton.russell@att.net  But please write in the title ‘The Old Rusty Nail’ or it will be deleted. That is I don’t click on any emails unless I know the name of the writer.

THE LOST ART OF PENMANSHIP

The old rusty Nail

AN E-JOURNAL FOR OLD PEOPLE

Russell Burton, an Old Person

I received handwritten thank you cards the other day from my two grandchildren.  Their penmanship, if it can be called that, was horrible and consequently I could not read some of it.  One started the note with a crude form of cursive which gradually transformed into printing.  The other was entirely printed.  Now the person who tried handwriting was 14 years old and a freshman in high school getting very good grades.

I mentioned this to a friend the other day and she told me that her son who is an attorney only prints.  And, then I was reminded about a TV cable repairman who wrote down on a piece of paper some things I wanted him to relate to his supervisor and he too printed.

So, what is going on?  Well, to begin with cursive is not taught in school anymore.  How sad but true.  I remember especially my eighth grade practicing cursive with all of those perfect written letters, both little and capital, in a huge size posted on the walls above the blackboards. Oh how we tried to duplicate those examples of perfect cursive but of course none of us were ever able to write like that.  Still, at lease we wrote so that someone could read it.

The letters that we tried to duplicate were beautiful and what could be called perfect.  At that time, I understood that a certain woman wrote those letters and that was what she did for a living.  Now, I think making cursive a profession is a bit extreme but it still should be taught in school!

And, speaking of reading it a friend of mine told me that one of her grandchildren can not read cursive – only printing.  That made me think maybe my grandchildren will not be able to read my short notes which I wrote in cursive and sent back by regular postage (you know snail mail) to each of them.  I guess I should have printed or written the notes on my computer and sent them email.  But, to me receiving an email is not nearly as friendly or caring as getting some hand-written note.

Okay, my handwriting is not what it use to be.  My signature is in the form of a few bumps and squiggles that can’t be read but interestingly it makes my documents legal and that can only be accomplished with my handwriting.  Yes, it is possible to e-cursive but it is still some form of handwriting.

So, apparently cursive is going the way of the Dodo bird and I think that is too bad for many reasons. The most important one is that only humans can write in this wonderful flowing manner that relates information to other humans. Another reason is that the printing I have seen is not neat and hard to read for it is a mixture of small and capital letters.  Another reason is it takes so much more time to print than to write in handwriting.  

Of course the computer and other e-things are the reason for this loss of hand writing ability as texting becomes a primary mode of communication which is the new form of writing. And, oh how rapidly these young people can text on that little key board – some with fat fingers.  I must admit it is a remarkable skill, but somehow does not compare with cursive.  I can imagine some poor lost soul not being able to write a simple message in huge letters to ask for help to some overhead plane trying to rescue that person. Okay, they would print it.

But of course the computer does offer a form of printing which is perfect and rapidly performed, especially if one learns touch typing.  I guess touch typing is still taught in schools, but I see kids texting ‘hunt and peck’ and not even using complete sentences with many ‘misspelled’ words like ‘u’ for ‘you’.  Okay so they are not misspelled only shortened using some form of short hand.

Speaking of short hand, I remember when I was attending school in the winter in South Dakota between the second and fourth grades, my folks paid to have me go across the street to someone’s home and eat a hot lunch.  They had a teenage daughter who was constantly practicing a form of written short hand.  She was attempting to make each letter exactly like the one in the book.  I think she was practicing for a contest.  I am not sure they teach written shorthand anymore.  Probably not….

What is amusing to me is that some computer software is available that prints words in cursive style.  Now, I wonder why they would write such software when people are not interested in writing it themselves anymore and I assume not interested or capable of reading it anymore.

I know I have fallen way behind on all of this e-stuff probably like most old people. I guess some of it I should have tried harder to understand but learning how to misspell words and write incomplete sentences is something I just won’t do.

I just finished reading a biography of Benjamin Franklin which brought back memories of reading the Declaration of Independence and our Constitution.  Of course both of these wonderful manuscripts were written in beautiful cursive by men who were just writing
English and not professional penmen.  I assume today if any group of people had the ability to write such profound words of wisdom and agree on them (which I doubt with our present political system) they would be produced on a computer using ‘Word’ or on an Apple.  To me there is something about that which is just plain wrong.

Thinking back more than two hundred years ago, about what a person who lived then would think of life now if they could be made to live again.   In particular, Benjamin Franklin who was a brilliant person with his marvelous intellect and interest in new inventions. I think he would fit right into our present high-tech world.

I guess I’m no Benjamin Franklin.

LOOKING BACK

 The old rusty Nail

AN E-JOURNAL FOR OLD PEOPLE

Russell Burton, an Old Person

An article in the Smithsonian magazine, January 2014 entitled ‘The End of … You’ by Jerry Adler, a former Newsweek editor quotes in his article ‘… that you can’t prepare for a future we can not predict’. It’s a philosophical based article noting that looking ahead at what you will be in the future and looking back at what you were results in much different perceptions.  That said I am not surprised as at my age of 83 I look back a lot but then I still look ahead although there are much more to look back over (you know remember) than to look toward in the future.

The focus of this article is that when we look ahead at our future we believe that what we have become we think ‘will be for the rest of our lives’.  This phenomenon is called ‘the end of history illusion’.

Of course, with very little future left, I think I can predict pretty well my future life.  I can’t put a timeline on it but I have my life pretty much on track with my age and some financial security so I do not believe that there will be many serious changes – you know, I will be pretty much the same person for the rest of my life

Now he focuses his article on middle aged people in their late 30's – early 40's and ten years later.  That is how different they were in their 50's.  I wish he had addressed these perceptions when people become much older. Of course, old people have less dynamic lives but not entirely as I will discuss later in this article.

Certainly when I was in my late 30's I was beginning my final professional career so my life was not much different than years later when I was established in that career.  And, now in many ways, I do not see myself changed much from what I was ten years ago.  Having retired at 68, I had adjusted to a retired life that with a few exceptions has remained constant.

Well writing constant with some exceptions is kind of a silly thought. So, maybe I should rethink that because my hobbies, which for old people many times become one’s career have changed during my retirement.  When I retired an important part of my life was painting with water colors and acrylics. I took some art classes but really was self-taught.  I joined all of the art clubs some of which required active participation and all the ability to demonstrate respectable art which could be sold. I really thought that I would continue doing that the rest of my life.  But alas, a few years ago I lost interest in painting as I began to write these articles for my BLOG which I really enjoy.  

So, my life even in retirement is what one could call dynamic.  And, when I look back over my entire lifetime I see many changes leading me to what I am today.  Of course involved with these memories are what I guess could be called the evaluation aspects of my life.  You know, what I did right and what I did wrong.  Now, some of what I think I did wrong is clearer to me today as the outcome has occurred and is much different than I had predicted when I made that decision.  You know 20/20 hind sight.

Certainly, my life-long professional career is something that I would not of predicted when I was in college preparing for my life-long goal to become a practicing veterinarian.  It was absolutely clear to me and my class mates that I was going into clinical medicine in California establishing and enjoying a medical practice for animals.  My classmates wished that they were as sure of their careers as I was. I had not yet decided if it would be large or small animals or maybe both but it would be clinical medicine without any doubts.  After seven years of veterinary practice which had become all small animals I realized finally that this was not the career for me!

Looking at my father’s life who hated his job every day for nearly 40 years, I began to realize that I was in a trap much like my father was in, but I had time to escape if I did it soon.  And, soon I did, putting my practice up for sale which was sold within a few days.  I literally gave it away for I needed to move on to another career before it was too late.  I had no job offers in fact I did not have any idea what I might do with my degree in veterinarian medicine. 

My first thoughts were I might begin working for the State of California as a regulatory veterinarian or a meat inspector.  These jobs were available and would have been a good career but then strangely I had a veterinarian friend suggest going back to the University of California at Davis, from where I had graduated and apply for a job that he knew about.  I did and I was hired which led to my career in research eventually ending up with an MS and PhD degrees and becoming Chief Scientist of two US Air Force laboratories in of all places, Texas.

To this day, I look back at when I was spaying dogs and cats in my practice in Grover City (now Grover Beach) California and the thought that my career would end as it did is beyond my craziest imagination. But, then if I had known all of what I had learned then I would not have ever gone to veterinary school, but would have become a scientist much sooner.  But, of course without this experience I would not have known that I did not like clinical veterinary medicine.

Well, now that I have reminisced about my past life relative to this article I realize that the study which Alder writes about did not fit me as he concludes,  ‘… what we should seek… seeing the person will be in the future’.  But, of course like I wrote about my career ‘to seek our future’ is fine but seeing the person I will be in the future for me was impossible.

Next I guess I could write about my personal life which has had many twists and turns many of which I could have avoided if I had been able to see the person I would be in the future.  But that story I will never write even though it would mirror more closely the premise of the original study with which I began this BLOG.

I guess this article was not really about being old like I usually focus most of these articles on but it is about my own reminiscing about the improbability of my eventual successful career, something I do a lot of these days. You know when you get old reminiscing of one’s life is something a person does often and it is really fun. It’s something a young person and certainly something my many friends who have died can’t do.

1/14

ANOTHER CHRISTMAS HAS COME AND GONE

 The old rusty Nail

AN E-JOURNAL FOR OLD PEOPLE

Russell Burton, an Old Person

Well, here it is December 26, 2013 and I am cleaning up by home where some nine of us had dinner yesterday beginning sharply at 1 PM.  I mention the fact that it was at 1 in the afternoon and not one minute later because these things can get out of hand with guests not arriving on time.  So, it gets put off and off until the dinner is served much too late for people who must live on a tight schedule.

This exact thing happened this last Thanksgiving which was scheduled to begin at noon, but someone phoned that she had to work and would get there as soon as possible.  Well, that ASAP was three in the afternoon.  One guest was a diabetic and this caused all kinds of problems for her as she must eat when it is time to eat and that is not three in the afternoon.

A young couple was a bit late this year but people were still serving themselves so my schedule was maintained.  Of course, there were the usual compliments about the food and some people even wanted a couple of the recipes.  Someone wanting the recipe to me is a sign that they really did like the food. 

One food I cooked was my version of Boston Baked Beans made from canned baked beans. The label on the can states that the contents are baked beans, but unlike Boston Baked Beans, they do not have any molasses and that is necessary.  I love BBB and I have tried to cook them from scratch with dried Navy Beans but without any success.  This recipe is my own and I like it a lot. 

I start with a can of Bush's Boston Baked Beans adding molasses, mustard, dried onions, a strip of uncooked bacon cut into pieces, and a squirt of Worcester Sauce.  I bake them for 2 hours at 325 F.  

My son-in-law mentioned that that kind of beans served with BBQ beef brisket was odd.  You know, in Texas some form of BBQ beans is not the norm.  But, he did eat a couple of portions and my other son-in-law wanted the recipe.  

The brisket I bought already cooked and it is very good, so why should I try to do the same when I really can’t do as well. Of course I think I can do better but then I think of all that electricity I'm saving keeping the oven going for hours upon hours.  I served three different kinds of BBQ sauces.  You know what they say, ‘the sauce is the boss’.  Not sure about that but I do know that different people like different sauces.

I tried for the first time making what was called ‘corn pudding’.  I saw it in the local newspaper the other day.  I know it is chancy trying out a new recipe on your guests but made of butter, sour cream, eggs, and cheese it had to be good.  And, it was very good.  Most everyone wanted that recipe!

The conversation was pretty thin as each family has its own history, activities and friends, etc. so there is really not much in common among the in-laws for topics for discussion.  So, after the gifts were opened we had disserts and everybody went home.  One dissert was a sugar-free pudding and the other a sweet-potato pie.  I love that pie but most everyone turns up their noses at the word sweet potato even though it tastes a great deal like pumpkin pie.

The gifts were traditional with clothing, etc. but what is becoming more common and expensive are these e-games for the younger people, both boys and girls.  One good thing about them is that they don’t take much wrapping paper as three games will fit into a small Christmas bag.  And, these games are not cheap.

Every time when I am in a store that sells $10 movies, I remember when the big deal was William Randolph Hearts had a movie room in his castle where guests could watch a movie all to themselves.  Boy that was a big deal for how could anybody be that rich?  My how times have changed!

Back to cleaning up the mess left in my home, which I will do in small jobs and be finished by bedtime.  But, I will be tired and sleep late in the morning and tell myself that this is the last year that I am going to do this, for I am getting too damn old.  Now, I said that last year and the year before that, so I guess next year I will have Christmas or Thanksgiving here again.

I know for sure if I stop having them at my house, it will be like giving up on another thing for the rest of my life.  And, I don’t want to give up anything until I really can’t do it anymore.  You know, just another bad sign of growing old.

Every Christmas brings back many fond memories of how much fun it was when I was a young boy especially when we were living in South Dakota.  Now there they have real winters with snow and really really cold weather.  I lived there with my folks from when I was six years old until I was ten and most of that time I believed in Santa Claus.

It was a tradition in my family that we opened our gifts on Christmas Eve and during the night Santa Claus would visit with special gifts just from him for me. 

Gifts I remember were leather gloves I got every year from my Grandmother who lived in Washington DC.  I always knew that in the small box from her would be leather gloves lined with fur.  And, how I needed them in that cold weather!  But, my mother would not let me open the box until it was Christmas Eve even with much begging.

The other gift I remember was a bike that we ordered from Sears Roebuck, yes not just Sears like it is now but Roebuck was part of the name.  I believe it cost $15 but they didn’t have the one my folks ordered so they sent a more expensive one that was much too big for me.  It did not cost my folks anymore money but my dad had to wire wooden blocks onto the pedals so I could reach them.  It took several years before I was big enough for that bike.

Yes, that was the best age for Christmas.

Well, I will close another BLOG article.  As I read over it I thought how much of it was my remembering things that happened but then that is some of the fun of being old.  Yes, memories especially fond memories are a pleasure which are ours alone and can’t be bought but must have been acquired by living for 82 years.

LIVING TO BE 100 YEARS OLD

The old rusty Nail

AN E-JOURNAL FOR OLD PEOPLE

Russell Burton, an Old Person

I ran across an article which appeared in a January/February 2013 issue of Health entitled ‘Live Long and Strong – Secrets From 100-Year Old Women” by Aviva Patz.  Of course, it had to be about women for very few men live that long.  I am not sure that I want to live to that age unless I was wealthy, healthy and wise.  Well I know I will not be wealthy unless some most-unlikely thing happens. Still to be healthy and wise at 100 might be fun. You know two out of three is not all that bad.

The article, showed ‘recent’ pictures of six of them and most looked to be in their 70s or perhaps even younger – quite amazing.  Of course each had some wisdom as they called it about living to be a centurion.

The article started with an interesting bit of trivia.  Fifty years ago just one person in 67,000 lived to be 100.  Today scientists predict that half of people born now will reach that age!  Wow… I am not surprised by these data for when I was growing up I wished I would live to see the turn of the century for that would have made me 68 years old, my life expectancy at that time.  Here I am 83 years old, healthy and I plan to live at least another ten years – perhaps to be 100!  Who knows…

Like I have written before my Uncle is healthy and 93 years old, my father died in his late 80s and my mother lived until the age of 92 so at least longevity is in my genes.  But, certainly this article showed that there is much more to reaching that age than merely genes for this remarkable increase in longevity over the last 100 years can not be explained by our genetic pattern – genes just don’t change that rapidly!  So, this increase in longevity clearly shows that right now half of us have genes to become centurions!

Of course much of this increase in longevity must be attributed to advances in public health, medicine, nutrition, technology (standard of living) and automobile safety.  Still there is some value in examining the wisdom of these six-young-looking 100 year-old women.

The article begins with a brief summary of their living habits including 77% exercise; 88% drink (alcohol I presume) and 22% go online.  Now, ‘going online’ I do not believe has anything to do with successful aging.  Well maybe as this suggest that they are trying out something new – looking forward.

The first individual piece of wisdom is ‘Get off your butt!’  This woman does Pilates for one hour each week.  Certainly exercise as a routine is important.  Just by walking 30 minutes several times a week is of great value in staying healthy.  In addition, weight lifting, aerobics on a stationary bicycle, stretches, and working on one’s balance are additional important exercises.

The second piece of wisdom found in this article is ‘Buddy up.’ Have an active social life.  Such social interactions ‘boost your brainpower’ and certainly are helpful in warding off depression, a common malady of old people.

Next, ‘Watch your weight – sanely’ which includes a healthy low-fat diet. In addition, exercise and not smoking are mentioned as key habits in reducing disease risk by 80%.  Please note that exercise keeps returning in the picture of successful aging.

Fourth, ‘Find a passion and follow it.’  This woman explained that ‘seeing the world’ that is being engaged with the world ‘gives meaning’.  Find out what makes you the happiest and do it such as hobbies like photography, gardening, or painting.  My major passion is of course writing.  I need to do it everyday which usually involves this blog.

Next to last, ‘Apply lipstick’ which means take care of your looks.  Well, I don’t think I will do that. One study, found a lower blood pressure in women who thought they looked younger after a hair job. I suppose I should get a hair cut more often.

Oops, lastly this 100-year-old lady did everything wrong such as being overweight and never exercising but her fix on longevity is ‘Look for silver linings’. A study from an aging institute found that being optimistic will help you live longer and happier lives.

A sidebar suggests that you can eat your way to health and old age.  Suggested were (1) eat five fruits and vegetables each day; (2) daily intake of low-fat yogurt; (3) eat fish 2-3 times each week; (4) snack on nuts; and (5) get plenty of fiber.

So there we have it - the secrets of long life.  Of course, none of these are secrets and without genetics on your side they will not offer you life for a century, still all of these suggestions for long life are important in living a longer and healthier life.   And, so you don’t make 100 years, 99 is nothing to sneer at. 

I mentioned my Uncle previously in this article who is doing quite well at 93 years of age. Now, I have never asked him his secret about successful aging.  He walks a bit; eats healthy food which his daughter fixes for him; engages actively in family matters and has a libation or two every night.  I think the last secret is an important one!

Well, the ‘old rusty nail’ is signing off another article on being old. Hey, just being old tells us that we must be doing something right.   It is indeed a privilege that I hope we all enjoy and appreciate every day.