One pound

It's the end of the year and it is time to get my annual weigh in.

The goal is to gauge the progress from year to year.

On January 1, 2016, the goal was to lose 10 pounds.  Well, I went in for my weigh in today and had only lost one pound.

Not much progress.  So, there is no reason to celebrate.

So, what did I do? I treated myself to Popeye's Chicken wings.  I'm sure if I'd gone back for the weigh-in after that, I would have gained the one pound....and then some.

So, my goal for next year is to lose more than one pound.

Now, that may be doable!

Benefits of senior citizen status

OK.  Every morning I feel the creaks, have difficulty getting the legs working and notice that my stamina isn't as high.

Welcome to Senior Citizenland.

But, there are many senior benefits and "I'm a senior," as my favorite expression.

One of my favorite perks is having my snow shoveled.  My town of Markham makes that kind concession to seniors and on days, like this week, when the snow is coming down furiously, I appreciate this "give."

Thanks, Mayor David Webb of Markham, Illinois, for making this a benefit of being a senior.

It saves me money, stress and annoyance.

Loss of someone I knew but didn't know

Today, I learned of the death of Stanley Abernathy.  He was a high school classmate and one of the most talented and coolest classmates ever!

I admired him from afar and had a crush on him since forever.  His talent as a trumpet player only made him more alluring.  Through the years, he made it as an entertainer with a band that did so well that he lived in a posh section of Nashville.

A few years ago, there was a high school reunion and he was there.  I lit up when I saw him. We chatted briefly and I felt there was a connection because unlike so many of our classmates, we'd done well after high school.  There was that common bond there.

He was a Facebook friend and I followed him...but not regularly.

So, today I went back to his FB page and saw that he'd spent the last few months in a bad place.  His illness was chronicled. His pain was apparent.  His death was imminent.

He'd stopped performing.  He'd moved back to Chicago sensing that his days were numbered and he wanted to be with family.

And it happened.  He died.

StanleyAbernathy, I hardly knew you but I admired you for the Renaissance man you are and for your passion and for being a trendsetter.

I will be at the services to say goodbye.

I'll miss you.

What to say to a person with cancer

I just read an article in the New York Times on what to say when talking to a person with cancer.  I've been doing it all wrong and so glad I read it.  In essence, you don't come off in a pitying manner, or by asking how it's going.  The correct response is to offer to help with any number of tasks.  "How Can I Help?" will go farther than saying, "Oh, I'm so sorry. What kind of cancer do you have? My friend had the same cancer and she...."  WRONG. Offering help is right!