Boomer Randomness

Balance is my favorite word, but I have a bit of a balance problem.   I usually use the word balance when talking about contrasting work with non-work or left opinions with right opinions or the need to lose weight with the need to eat a gallon of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream in one sitting.   But the balance I have a problem with right now refers to walking up or down stairs without holding onto the railing or attempting to navigate a narrow sidewalk on a crowded street without bumping into somebody or trying to carry a box to my car without tripping and falling. I’ve been very healthy most of my life.   Three years ago, however, I discovered numbness across a third of my body, all on one side.   My first thought was stroke, but that was not the case.   I also had a balance problem and weakness in one leg.   Doctor visits with four new docs plus tests, MRIs, CT scans, a lumbar puncture and a colonoscopy ruled out everything except my neurologist’s fi...

  The mass shooting episode in Oregon this week led to the predictable public reactions from the White House, the NRA, the pro and con gun control advocates and the various biased and unbiased news outlets.   I’d like to hear from the mental health experts.   Did they get any coverage? I hate guns and wish they didn’t exist, I will never own one and they are not allowed in my apartment.   On the other hand, I don’t know that stricter gun control laws would prevent all the mass shootings.   The President’s emotional speech after the Oregon incident was great and I wish we’d see his angry side more often.   But he predictably called for more gun control.   Yes, I think it should be difficult to get a gun but I’ll also note that several of the mass shooting incidents during the past decade involved legally registered guns .   Correct me if I’m wrong, but ALL of them involved some level of mental illness . Various gun rights activists claim ...

Photography and writing are two of my passions, but as is the case with many creative endeavors, day-to-day life gets in the way.   I love writing for this blog and shooting pictures for my photo blog, even though only a few people read either, but I have a job, a traffic-infused commute, a divorce that drags on and a new medical condition, all conspiring to rob me of the time to write and shoot photographs. My usual response when someone else whines about not having time to do things is, “keep trying.”   Every time you get knocked down, stand up.   I usually take my own advice on this matter so here I am, standing up, writing again, hopefully on a regular basis. It’s also time to find my camera.   I did take 200 photos on a beach week trip.   Oh wait, that was in June.   More recently, I entered a neighborhood photo contest.   Three days before the deadline, after the tenth reminder from a neighborhood photographer friend, I walked around and ...