Day 4560 - My Birthday

Another trip around the sun. I'm 74 now. I'm definitely feeling a little worse for wear.  I'm still hanging in there though. I walked my full six mile route this morning. We'll see if I can keep this going for another year. I'm already doing better than my parents were. My Mom was dead before she turned 74 and my Dad had already been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease.

We went out for dinner at my favorite restaurant this evening. We hadn't been since before Covid and things had changed a bit. The place was seriously understaffed and everyone seemed a bit stressed. The food was still good though. My favorite dish wasn't even on menu anymore. That was a little disappointing. I was surprised because it was still on the online menu, it just wasn't on the actual menu that the waiter brought us. Oh, well. I found something else I liked and we had a very nice dinner. 

I wouldn't want to be in the restaurant business right now. Everyone is still trying to recover from the Covid shutdowns, the cost of ingredients has gone up, and fewer people are dining out because of out of control inflation. We arrived a little early tonight, but they wouldn't seat us until our scheduled time even though the restaurant seemed half empty. I'm sure it was company policy. I bet they thought if they could shuttle everyone to the bar for a while before they were seated, they would sell a little more. I can't really blame them. It was clear that this place was just trying to keep their doors open.

We always have Sprinkles cupcakes and a little champagne to celebrate birthdays. Dawn gets a pupcake as well. I forget how long we've been doing this, but it's been quite a while. I enjoy the celebration, but I don't look forward to birthdays anymore. I'm clearly on a downhill glide path. I'm doing the best I can to stay healthy, but you never know. People my age are dropping like flies. I know a few people who are still active in their 90's though, so maybe I'll get lucky.

I get fewer Facebook birthday greetings every year. The difference isn't dramatic, but it is consistent. I think the smaller numbers correspond pretty well to the number of friends who have died during the year. I should do a better job of keeping up with my remaining friends, but I probably won't. I'm a solitary person and if I could just get my dog to like me I'd be a happy camper.

I was a little surprised that I got 20,000 steps today. I guess I was busier than I thought. Dawn still got her Sunday outing, even though she only took a very short walk because of the heat. She did get a nice sunrise walk earlier in the day though. These early morning walks are the only times when it's still pleasant to be outside. We didn't spend a lot of time outside on Dawn's outing, but we did still go and get ice cream. Dawn even got an extra treat today when they gave her a free doggie cone.

All in all it was a good day. I tire easily and my feet hurt, but I'm still in pretty good shape. I think I've still got a few good years left. I hope I've managed to see a few more rocket launches and made at least one more trip to the observatory before I turn 75. There are no big plans anymore. Little day to day plans are all I need. I think we'll go visit the rescue Dalmatians tomorrow. I'm a year older now but it's time to get back to our regular schedule.

Jade is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 4195 - My Birthday

I'm 73 years old today. I'd be lying if I said I felt young, but I guess I'm still in pretty good shape. At this age you feel grateful for each additional year. Too many friends and co-workers are already gone. Almost all the teachers I had in college have died. A number of classmates are gone as well. Way too many people I know have succumbed to cancer. I guess my friends were a cautious lot. Almost nobody I know died doing something reckless or foolish. I hope to be around for quite a few more years, but I don't take anything for granted now. After 73 years you learn that the world is full of surprises.

Today was fairly relaxing and largely uneventful. Janet had an event to attend today and left the house early, so Dawn didn't get a walk. I've tried to walk her by myself, but she won't leave the yard unless Janet is nearby. It's sad that Dawn is still uncertain about me after all this time. She has clearly had some really bad experiences with men. 

I did my usual grocery shopping this morning. Prices keep going up and up. I'm going to have to learn to shop the sales like Janet does. My shopping list seldom varies and it just seems ridiculous to keep paying more for exactly the same things. The price of gas keeps going up as well. It's probably a good thing that I don't drive much.

I did drive to the gym this afternoon only to discover that it was closed. I guess I should have read the sign on the door a little closer yesterday. The gym is open on Saturday, but only until 1 PM. My gym used to be open seven days a week and had fairly long hours. It can't be Covid that's keeping them closed now. I think they are just trying to cut costs and save money. 

It was hot outside, but after I returned home I decided to take a long walk anyway. I needed to get my steps in somehow. I was glad it was a windy day. The warm breeze kept me a little cooler. There weren't a lot of people in the park this afternoon, but there are always a few families having picnics. Maybe some people don't mind the heat. These groups having picnics and barbecues always seem to be having fun.

When I looked at my Apple watch this morning it said Happy Birthday and a bunch of balloons scrolled across the screen. Technology has certainly changed the birthday experience. I'm always surprised at how many birthday greetings I get on Facebook. Some of these people I've known since childhood and others I've never even met. I can't even remember when Facebook started the birthday greetings, but it seems like they've been around forever. I don't particularly like Facebook, but I do like the birthday messages. I try to remember to acknowledge other people's birthdays as well. It's a small thing, but it does make you feel connected.

Yesterday we had a birthday dinner. Tonight we had our traditional birthday cupcakes. Dawn had her own pupcake as well. I can't even remember how long it's been since we had a cake. Cupcakes are so much easier. When there are only two people, a cake will go stale long before you can finish it. We had some champagne with our cupcakes so I feel sleepy now. It's been a nice day. Actually, it's been a pretty nice year. Covid restrictions certainly didn't change much for me. I've been avoiding people for years. I got to go out to McDonald Observatory twice during the lockdowns and down to Kennedy Space Center once. If I can do the same this year, I'd be a happy camper.

Inky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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