Speeding along at 60

Next month, I'll be 61. This whole year has been a year of feeling much older. Back in my 30s, I felt like a kid, about 17 or so. Now, some days I feel old, depending on how many aches and pains. I think part of it may be that I'm no longer working, so I have more time to think about it. Part of it, though, is that I'm slowly coming to grips with the notion that there are a whole lot of things that I could do 20 years ago, but now seem out of the question. That really doesn't keep me from doing the things I really want to do, but it is a sobering thought for an aging person who never particularly thought about growing old.

Last night after Ron had turned out the lights and crawled into bed, I tickled him. He grabbed my hand and told me, "Please don't do that. I don't like it." I turned my back, and a few minutes later, got out of bed and left the bedroom. Mine was a gesture I meant in fun, but he obviously wasn't amused. But why did he wait 29 years to tell me? I was bummed out a lot. I mean, I was hurt, first because I had done something to him that he didn't like, and second because a teasing happy camaraderie (from my perspective) was over, after a long, long time. Why was I kept in the dark for so long? After about 15 minutes of sulking in the bathroom, I returned to the bedroom, crawled into bed, kissed Ron goodnight, and then headed toward slumberland, myself. 

Oh, and then this morning, I get up and weigh in for Weight Watchers. I gained 2.2 pounds since last week. In the meantime, today, I had about three good-sized bowel movements. I'm guessing I was just full of shit, something a lot of people have observed about me from time to time. At least the general trend on this diet is downward. I'm down 10 pounds since January 9. I guess I shouldn't complain. I expect to be in losing mode during the coming week. If nothing else, I'm eating better on this diet.

Today was Presidents Day. It was also Timothy's birthday, and I found out that it's his wife, Chanin's birthday, too. I wonder if they save on birthday cake that way. I sent Timothy a card, and a Facebook greeting. I think I'll send Sarah one, too, and there's a story behind that.

Last Friday, Nicky, an old high school acquaintance asked me on Facebook whether I had any recipes for lobster tails. Today, I replied that I didn't, but that I'd look for some. I sent him a link to the Food Network, which had a couple dozen recipes for lobster tails, then I looked in my cookbooks, and found a lobster crepe recipe from Julia Child, and a lobster with gnocchi in butter sauce with curried walnuts from Patrick O'Connell. I sent him those recipes, too, then asked that he lets me know how he prepares his lobster tails. I really enjoy cooking, especially challenging recipes that stretch my experience.

So another ACDC square dance weekend is history. Tim and I had a lot of fun. I enjoy the dancing, but I'm glad that I'm no longer going to 10 weekends a year. It's just to much stuff. Todd Fellegy had a C2 Intro workshop that was a whole lot of fun. I may never learn C2, but what I am learning will probably make me a better C1 dancer, and all of my C1 friends certainly hope so.

Tonight for part of dinner, I made a collard green dish. My special hint is to add some chorizo sausage, taco seasoning, and fish sauce, along with the other stuff you normally throw into collard greens. A lot of people (white people, that is) don't like collard greens, but I do. They stand up to other foods. They have a nice texture, and a slightly bitter, earthy taste that goes well at the dinner table. Here's to collard greens.