MM2S064: Season 5, Episode 4
By: Ken Boone This past Friday, I celebrated my 65th birthday! As I said in my last episode, there was no party and no proclamations of any kind. I did get a few well wishes on social media. It wasn't until my brother posted a mention on Facebook that a few more people jumped on with congratulatory messages. It's all good. I had a quiet celebration with Celia. Not a big deal. Earlier in the day, we picked up a couple of slices of chocolate cake and a sweet potato pie, sans candles. We did order take-out and watched binge blocks of 911 and American Greed. I know that sounds pathetic, but it was exactly what I wanted. That, and playing hooky from the gym. I just didn't feel like doing a workout to commemorate the BIG 6-5! And why those two shows? What do they have in common? They give me thrills and make me laugh! Especially the corny stuff. I did learn that a famous person who shares a birthday with me, Astronaut Buzz Aldren, got married on his 93rd birthday! He was quoted as saying that he and his bride Anca “were as excited as eloping teens”. That's amazing to hear. Happy Birthday, Congratulations, and Good Luck, Buzz and Anca! As for my gifts, I got everything I wished for and more! I got the gift of being older and feeling wiser. My rich Uncle Sam did come through for me by enrolling me in Medicare. My first premium was deducted and I didn't even say “ouch”. That's because he gave me a nice Cost of Living Adjustment to offset insurance premium. Celia still has my back. And I still have a family I adore and hope to spend more time with for the next 20+ years! I also got a bonus gift. As a follow up to my recent hospital stay, I had some lab work done to see if my hemoglobin level was trending back up. The results showed that my level had gone from 7.7 to 11.4, which is considered just mildly anemic. Jeffrey, my PCP, said that although he wants me to stay on the Iron pills another 6-8 weeks, I cleared me to resume my workouts! That was great news! I did wish for some tangible stuff, although I didn't blow out any candles for good luck. I would like to get some more stuff for my voice studio. Not must haves, but like to have stuff. So I started a little fund and set a time to purchase when I reached 100 episodes. This is only episode 64, so I have a little way to go. The one thing I didn't wish for was a public acknowledgement that it was my birthday. Outside my brother's Facebook Mention and my wife letting it slip to the lady behind the bakery counter at Publix, my birthday quietly came and went. Why the low profile? For the first half of my life, I was considered a very friendly, outgoing guy. Just half of that assessment is true today. While I still am a pretty friendly guy who can assume the character of an extrovert that I keep in my bag of tricks, I learned that I’m someone who prefers to stay to myself. I may not crave the company of others, but this does not mean I do not have friends. It does mean that once I get to like someone and want to be their friend, I will be one of the most loyal friends they have on this or any planet! While I was binge watching the shows I mentioned earlier, I found myself laughing at a number of things that most people would not find funny. Not anything off-color, but more or less irreverant stuff. Even the obviously corny stuff. People used to think I was odd, which made me somewhat self-conscious. Nowadays, I don't run thoughts, ideas, and emotions by others for approval. With age comes the license to do what I want, as long as it's legal and kind. With age comes the wisdom to determine the difference between right and wrong. With age comes the conviction that shedding a tear is not a sign of weakness. And with age, I've earned the right to laugh at anything that tickles my funny bone. And that means that I can still laugh at my own jokes! You know what? I think I'm going to like being a Senior Citizen! Today's Quote “If you are influenced by the opinions of others, you will have no desires of your own. Keep your own counsel by reaching your own decisions and following them.” Anonymous
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MM2S063: Season 5, Episode 3
By: Ken Boone This is the week that I celebrate my 65th birthday! There will be no party. There will be no proclamations of any kind. In fact, I don't expect much in the way of well wishes on social media. I can count on a congratulatory message from the people closest to me, but that's about it. My niece Erin always posts something on Facebook. So does my son. In fact, this year he wants to get me something special. I told him I'll think of something. In the past, he's been very extravagant in his gift-giving. One year, he even bought me a truck! I'm not expecting that. Maybe a gift certificate to Caribou Coffee, since he's a General Manager there and can get one for free or on the cheap. Every four years, Presidential Inauguration Day falls on my birthday. Depending on who wins the election, it's either a time for celebration or a day of praying for God's protection and mercy on us poor souls. In my 65 years on this earth, I've had exactly three parties to mark the occasion. The first was when I was 10 years old. That was a lot of fun, although I preferred to be a guest and not the center of attention. I remember getting a lot of toys, as well as being embarrassed when they sang “Happy Birthday” to me. There was a surprise party thrown for me when I was in my early 20s. I don't recall many of the details of the event. Not because I had too much to drink, but that happened during the “wannabe musician” period of my life. And I've pretty much erased that phase from my memory. There were a lot of guests, and I remember getting some pretty cool stuff, although I can't recall what it was. The third and final party was a surprise dinner celebrating my 50th birthday. The event was hosted by my ex, and guest list was quite small. My buddy Pete and his family were there. In fact, that's when I realized that we were best friends. The only gift I remember getting was a coffee table book of biographies of members of the Baseball Hall of Fame, which I still have today! There were also a few times that I had to suffer the unease of having the wait staff sing happy birthday to me. I would be both embarrassed and pissed off because it was well-known that I hated being put on display like that. I hope that this birthday will be my best to date. It's going to be on a Friday, which is probably my favorite day of the week for reasons I won't get into now. Celia and I will order take-out to ensure that no one will storm my table to serenade me! I may even splurge on my sodium intake, because you only become an official Senior Citizen once! As for the gifts? Let's see. I'll be older and wiser just by making it this far. My rich Uncle Sam enrolled me in Medicare as a companion gift of Social Security a couple of years ago. And my beautiful wife will continue giving me the gift of always having my back! As for the gifts? Let's see. I'll be older and wiser just by making it this far. My rich Uncle Sam automatically enrolled me in Medicare as a companion gift of the Social Security retirement benefit he gave me a couple of years ago. And my beautiful wife will continue giving me the gift of always having my back! Parting Shots Growing up, I always felt cheated by having a birthday so close to Christmas. I lost count of how many times I was told that I would be taken care of later, only to get nice gifts and have my mother cook me my favorite meal. Those mixed messages were confusing. But not anymore. My birthday is a day of great pride to me. If others join in the celebration, that's fantastic. No big deal if they don't. We will be eating take-out and watching either a Charlotte Hornets' game, a Hallmark movie, or an episode of American Greed. However, I will be wishing a Happy Birthday to Astronaut Buzz Aldrin, musician Questlove, actor Lorenzo Lamas, and even politician Nikki Haley, to name but a few. And let's not forget the late, great George Burns. All of them share a birthday with me. I hope that I can accomplish half of what they did when I finally grow up! Today's Quote “I used to walk into a room full of people and wonder if they liked me... now I look around and wonder if I like them.” Anonymous (Although it sounds like something I wish I said) MM2S062: Season 5, Episode 2
By: Ken Boone I relapsed from one of last year's resolutions, which was to cut back on my cable new consumption. But I just had to watch the House of Representatives take a grueling 4 days and 15 rounds of voting to elect a Speaker of the House! Binge watching that drama caused my blood pressure to elevate by over 10 points on both my systolic and diastolic numbers (aka top and bottom numbers). Was it worth it? I think so! Part of watching that spectacle meant that I had to listen to the analysts making apocalyptic predictions about what was going to happen to this country, and the world, for that matter, if they didn't reach a conclusion in short order. I found that to be so extreme that I found myself yelling at the TV like in the good old days. Watching now-Speaker McCarthy sit there as his enemies on his side of the aisle take their pound of flesh was both sad and funny. It also started to make me feel a bit uncomfortable. Hearing how he was giving away the keys to the store for a mere 20-21 holdouts made me a little nervous. He already had over 200 votes, and there were 212 votes sitting across the aisle just waiting to make a deal. Is it true that Mr. Speaker can't count? Isn't that the first skill needed for the job? To me, what was on display was a settling of several Karma accounts. Most of the parties involved got exposed for being standard politicians cloaked in terrorist-like rhetoric. All the guns they were holding in campaign ads were mere props. While some were able to keep up the act longer than others, they all eventually caved! While not as consequential, I remember a few episodes in my life where Karma came to collect. One time I deserved the public shame, while another time my adversaries thought they were going to shame me and put me back in my place. The time I deserved it still haunts me, even though I took it like an adult, removed myself from the scene and never looked back. Although the wrong I committed was done for the right reasons, it was wrong nonetheless. Any vindication I would get would have to wait. In fact, I'm still waiting! The other time that comes to mind most resembles the situation that took place in the House of Representatives last week. In my case, the stakes were nickel and dime by comparison. And it happened about 20 years ago, but the wound is still open. I hope to just let it go someday. But the drama I saw unfold brought that episode rushing back! When my son was growing up, I was a very hands-on parent. I supported every one of his pursuits, from sports to music and art, as well as academics. Of all the things he explored, baseball was the one that held his interest the most. I've told variations of this story before, so I won't repeat the irrelevant portions. But for the similarities, I found myself trying to protect not only my son, but some of the other boys who were being mistreated by a coach whose chief objective was to eliminate any player who posed a threat to his son's advancement. It was obvious to me what this guy was doing. It was also obvious to me that for reasons unknown most of the other parents were either oblivious or chose to turn a blind eye to what was going on. When my battle with the coach came to a head and the parents had to choose sides, most of the parents whose kids I was protecting sided with him. I was left with no choice but to pack up and leave town (with my son, of course). But as I predicted, this guy was successful in weeding out most of the kids who posed a threat to his son. Fortunately, Karma did come to collect. When his kid reached the destination that his dad was hoping he'd reach, two things were evident. The first was that his son really wasn't good enough. And second was that there was nothing the guy could do to help or influence the inevitable crash! I got me no joy when I learned of the kid's fate, but I was a little disappointed that I wasn't there to get a ringside seat to see the inevitable crash. I would not have gloated, but merely asked the dad if he thought his efforts were worth it. Parting Shots So, what does my Little League drama have to do with what took place last week in the well of the House of Representatives? To tell the truth, not much. Except the part where most of the people who the Speaker thought he was protecting ended up biting him in the “you-know-what”, but for different reasons. In my case, the parents thought they were doing the right thing by their sons by not making any waves. I didn't blame them for what they did. In fact, I felt that me leaving town was the right thing for me and my son. In fact, I now know it was! In the case of The Honorable Mr. McCarthy, his situation reminds me of the fable of the scorpion and the frog. In his quest for power, he provided cover for people who could not be trusted. He was warned countless times from allies and enemies alike to be careful, but he wouldn't. Or couldn't. Although he ultimately got his prize, the gentleman from Central California was publicly betrayed and embarrassed by the very people he spent a considerable amount of time and political capital on protecting. And no matter how he tries to spin it, he must have been left in a weakened state. So saith the most of the pundits! Since I don't have a dog in this fight, I don't have the right to say, “I told you so”. However, I'm thrilled to have had a ringside seat to the show, even if it costs me a rise in my blood pressure for a few days. The inconvenience was totally worth it! Today's Quote “No need for revenge. Just sit back and wait. Those who hurt you eventually screw up themselves and if you are lucky, God will let you watch.” - Anonymous (Although it sounds like something I would say) MM2S061: Season 5, Episode 1
By: Ken Boone Happy New Year! Welcome back for Season 5 of this podcast! We've worked out most of the kinks so the show should now have a more consistent flow that makes sense not only to you, but to me as well! I'm planning on the year consisting of two seasons, with about 25 episodes in each season. And I may take one week off at the end of each season. I'd like to stick to just a few topics for each season. And I'd like to publish an episode each week and keep the length of each episode between 8 and 15 minutes. The length isn't set in stone but putting it in a time frame tends to keep me focused. I think I'll start the new year and the new season with my list of 2023 New Year's Resolutions. There were 15 items on my resolution to-do list for Calendar Year 2022. With the exception of the desire to attend church services occasionally, I started all of them and I've stuck with most of them. What I learned was that if I kept my expectations low and my acceptance high, anything was possible. However, if you want to be truthful, 15 resolutions are just a bit much, don't you think? Of course, you do! So, this year I've cut my list of resolutions down to seven hopefully manageable items. Some of them are brand new choices, while others are mashups of past resolutions. I'll devote much of the early part of this year teeing these items up on my calendar. I will then give you progress reports on how things are holding up. If I can get to March of 2023 with me sticking with all of the items on my list, I'll consider it “Mission Almost Accomplished”! And if I make it all the way until the end of June, which will be the end of Season 5, I think I'll give myself a parade, complete with a medal ceremony. But no matter where I end up, I have to get started somewhere and at some time. So, here and now is the best place to start. Okay, here we go: 1. I'm calling the first one, “Sticking with the Three Es”. And they are to: Exercise regularly. This was Resolution #2 for 2022. I'm still going to the fitness center on average twice per week, mainly riding the stationary bikes, but I may start using the Nautilus machines in the Spring. Eat healthy. This was Resolution #3 from last year. I've been taking in less sweets, lower sodium, and including more fruit in my diet for the past three plus years. As a result my recent health emergency, further restrictions have been placed on my diet. Thank goodness I'm not that big a fan of seeds and nuts, so no worries there! Engage in life. Other than the out-of-town recording gigs I did with the nonprofit I helped out, my outdoor adventures consisted mostly on trips to the grocery store. At home, it's pretty much been me recording this podcast. I don't find my life boring, but I should be doing more. Just like last year, I'll try to do something musical. It may not be playing the drums or guitar. At least not as often as I set out to do last year. I may just do it as the spirit moves me. And if an out-of-house gig comes our way, I'll be ready. Although I failed last year, I will resolve to record Celia making music. I know she wants to, but I think we both just need a little push. And like me playing an instrument, we shouldn't put ourselves under any undue pressure. We can just do it when the spirit moves us. 2. Make my house “playable”. Last year, we got the house “livable” again, turning it from a warehouse to a home. I'm now down to one room that needs to be used for it's intended purpose. That happens to be our music room/recording studio. The space is decorated, and all the gear is in place. All we have to do is enter, hit the “record” button, and get busy! And while we're making the house “playable”, I want to turn my garage into a lounge, like this guy I know did. He used this space for his praise band to relax and jam in a non-church setting. I was very impressed with their setup! So much so that I want something like that for us. It may be a little too ambitious, and I may not get all of it done in 2023, but I can sure try. I've already moved my drums and P.A. System in there, so the space is on its way to being ready! 3. Turn my voice studio from a hobby into a bona fide side hustle. The space is ready to go. I've set up areas for me to record anything from a solo to a multi-host, multi-guest podcast show. Another potential revenue stream is from voice overs, either using my voice or bringing in outside talent. I've got the vocal booth set up, and all I have to is activate my Fiverr account, and I'll be ready to go. I still hope to create YouTube videos. That hasn't happened yet, but I've created a channel and recorded a few hours of demo videos that I'm working on. I would like to reach 5,000 downloads for this show and 10,000 for the network. I'd like to hit those numbers without paying from promotion or embedding ads in my episodes. 4. Cut the number of prescription meds I take in half. While I think that my Cardiologist, Dr. V, is a great guy who guided me out of through my cardiac scare for over three years, and he's just been prescribing medication to treat my High Blood Pressure. And I'm discovering that I can get the same results as taking my meds my doubling up on my exercise, sticking with my current diet, and lowering my stress level. 5. Attend a church service occasionally. This is one that I failed miserably last year. I'll keep trying, since Celia likes attending. It won't be the end of the world if I fail again, but I will try. 6. If possible, do it for free! I saw a story on the news this morning about a “Manifest Coach”, who helps you set and keep resolutions. I'd bet she doesn't do it out of the goodness of her heart. So I'll pass on the Coaching. 7. I will not borrow trouble! Celia is always telling me that, although she tends to pick the worst-case scenario. I'm usually guilty of doing the same thing. Parting Shots 2023 offers the possibility of more hopes and dream materializing. And I haven't given up on the church piece but won't put any undue pressure on myself to make that happen. My birthday is coming up in a few weeks, and I'll be turning 65! With Medicare Parts A through D in place, all kinds of Senior discounts available everywhere, and being in good health and spirits, it looks like this will be a great year! As I've said countless times in the past, by keeping my expectations low and my acceptance high, it's possible to accomplish just about anything. And there you have it. I've laid out my list of resolutions for Calendar Year 2023. What's on your annual to-do list? Inquiring minds want to know! Today's Quote “What the new year brings to you will depend on what you bring to the new year.” Vern McLellan – Author |
About the HostKenneth E. Boone, Sr. is a writer, podcaster, music lover, sports enthusiast, and retired accountant. Archives
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