Thursday Ramble: Modern Medicine and Living Longer

There have always been people who lived into old age, into their 80's and 90's. More of us do so today, thanks to medical science. 

I was working on an article a few years ago that talked about why there are more older adults today, than in the relatively recent past. I did a little research into why more of us live longer than our ancestors did 100-200 years ago. I wrongly assumed that antibiotics and vaccines would be the leading cause of average life expectancy increasing.  While those were in the top ten reasons, the factors what have made the biggest change are sanitation and safe drinking water. Many of the people that died at a young age 100-150-200 years ago, died from waterborne illnesses, frequently contamination of drinking and washing water with sewage. Workplace and environmental safety were another big advance, many fewer of us die trying to earn a living than did 100 years ago. Also in the top ten was reduction of death in childbirth, and by the way a major factor there was washing hands before assisting with a birth. 

Vaccination for smallpox, has been around since the 1700s.  A doctor realized that milkmaids who had cowpox, a related and much less harmful disease, didn't contract smallpox. The original vaccine was exposure to a live virus. It was later understood that the immune system developed a response that allows the body to rapidly fight off infection from viruses that it has been exposed to. 

For much of the past 100+ years, vaccines have been developed with either dead viruses, or weakened viruses. Immune responses tend to weaken over time, and viruses tend to mutate over time, explaining why it is recommended that certain vaccines be repeated. 

While vaccines may not be 100% effective, and a very small percentage of people have adverse reactions to vaccines, the benefits far outweigh the risks for most of us. 

I have an appointment for vaccine updates in a couple of weeks. The Condo provides space for an onsite vaccination clinic each fall. 

The secrets to a longer life. Have access to safe water, wash your hands often, avoid getting kicked in the head by a mule or crushed by a tree, choose doctors with clean hands, and talk to your doctors about what is best for you.   

My World of Wonders aka The Wednesday Ws- Mid September 2025

Where have I been this week? I took my camera and went over to King Street for a walk, and ended up buying a new pair of walking shoes at Pacer's. The Community Center to take down the latest Gallery show, and back to change out the Showcase display. Back to the Community Center to help hang the new gallery show. Crystal City for a long walk. Mt. Vernon for the annual colonial market and fair. The community center to drop off and pick up books for our annual book exchange.  The Farmers Market. Amazon Fresh and Trader Joe's. The pool. The AC was fixed then failed again in the gym. The library for a fresh reading stack. 

What have I been up to in the kitchen? Chicken / vegetable/ noodle soup. Baked chicken with rice with saffron (I opened the last box of saffron from our last visit to Spain - Spain is on the agenda for next spring.) Potatoes au gratin with ham. Roast Salmon and roast veggies. It is soup, stew and casserole season - cooking is fun at this time of the year. 

What am I reading? A book about Gordon Ramsey's international food  travels. Two thoughts, the book needed better editing/typesetting, and he writes like he talks.  And a neat little book, Longitude, I learned a few things.  

What made me stop and think this week? Last weekend was the condo's annual book exchange.  I took over a bag filled with books, and brought back a handful of books.  I was reading Longitude while drying off by the pool, and I noticed a smell.  I had to pause for a moment to identify the smell, then I stuck my nose in the book. It was the wonderful smell of old paper and ink, of a book that had not been opened in 30 years. 

Who have I talked with this week? With all of the arts stuff, Joan, Amy, Prathiba, Jon, Kevin, Linda, Ruth. That was the peak of my socialization for the week. Oh, and my sweet bear in case anyone wonders, we talk every day. 

What is happening in my family? My sister and middle brother were at an over 50 year high school reunion, my brother is getting old and round (my invitation will be coming in a few years.) My sister took part in a neighborhood garage/yard sale. My oldest nephew and his wife are expecting a second child late this year, and selling and buying a larger home.  

What have I been painting? The brilliance within the reading stack. 

Where did the prints go, from the solo show in the Grill last month? The empty wall in the kitchen. 

What is the advertisement / video of the week? I don't recommend or condone stealing a car,  but, this is so well produced. 

Travel Tuesday: Out and About in Alexandria Virginia

A couple of nice days out, in my neighborhood. 

American Bald Eagle and a young Osprey at Huntley Meadows Park 

Turtle doing turtle things. 

Mushrooms 

Bench in front of a medical clinic.

Virginia Tech - innovation campus at Potomac Yard
I keep trying to find the best side of this building, there doesn't seem to be one. 

Over a beer at the Grenadier pub in London, INEOS Chairman and 4X4 enthusiast Sir Jim Ratcliffe had an idea. The vision for a stripped-back, no-nonsense, utilitarian 4X4 was born. It is rare to see one on the street, but Alexandria is the kind of place that you will. 

Lots of place to pause for a moment. 

Falling apart on the subway tracks in the King Street Station. 

Monday Moods: Karma

There was a political assassination last week in the United States.  Political violence is never the answer. The deceased when asked about a recent school shooting, the murder of children in school, is reported to have said in effect, that it was unfortunate, but sacrifices must be made to protect the rights of gun owners.  A very wise person I know responded with one word, Karma.  

A year ago, I hung around and helped install a gallery show for the local arts group. I have helped several times and learned so very much from working with a very talented framer. A few months ago, I was asked if I could could lend a hand in planning and organizing shows.  At the time I said to sweetie bear, I think the only way out of chairing the committee is to recruit your replacement. And Saturday afternoon, came the ask, the co-chairs want out and would I agree to take over the first of the year? I have conflicting emotions, I am honored to be asked, but what the hell am I getting myself into?  And how soon can I start recruiting? Karma. 

The Sunday Five: Mascots and Silliness

1: Do you have a special name for your car? 

2: Is there something that you have moved from car to car, sort of a mascot? 

3: How would you respond when the driver next to you points out that there is a giant panda in the back seat of your car? 

4: Have you ever had a special or custom license or number plates on your car? 

5: Are there any bumper stickers on your car? 

My Answers: 

1: Do you have a special name for your car? The Pandavagon, it is a Volkswagen with a Panda in the back seat.  

2: Is there something that you have moved from car to car, sort of a mascot? There is a small teddy bear, backseat bear, who has been in my cars since the early 1990s. 

3: How would you respond when the driver next to you points out that there is a giant panda in the back seat of your car? My favorite was, "Oh, not again!" 

4: Have you ever had a special or custom license or number plate on your car? I lived in Lexington Kentucky home to the University of Kentucky and go big blue, I drove a red Cadillac Eldorado with University of Louisville, Go Cardinals on it. That brought a few unkind remarks from the locals. 

5: Are there any bumper stickers on your car?  No, none. 

Please share your answers in the comments. 

The Saturday Morning Post: 50 States in 52 Weeks - Oregon

I have been to Oregon three times, a board meeting and a conference in Portland, and on our 2019 Pacific Northwest Road Trip we drove into Oregon so that Sweet Bear can say he has been there.  

Oregon is south of Washington State, and north of California on the Pacific coast of the United States.  The coast is spectacular, rugged, rocky, tree lined. The Pacific Northwest Coastline has a moderate climate that is seldom frozen and seldom super hot, with lots and lots of rain. I have not visited the central or eastern part of the state. In the mountains the climate would be significantly colder. 

This is a spectacular part of the country. Very worth seeing. I would go back anytime. I would live there, except I think housing prices make DC look cheap, and the place is crawling with refugees from California.  

When you have the opportunity, go explore that corner of the country. You will wish you had more time to spend there. 
 

Funky Friday: Musical Heidelberg

An long time lawyer friend of mine collects German Beer Steins. I had no idea how much of a hobby this was, it is good thing Fred made a lot of money, he has a large collection. He built a room in his home just to display them. 

A few years ago, the annual stein collectors convention was in Annapolis Maryland, about 40 miles from where I live.  Fred reached out to me, and invited me to join him and his girlfriend for dinner at the convention.  Needless to say, a good time was had by all.  Dinner was followed by a fundraiser auction of steins donated by members of the collectors club. 

This one caught my eye, the design is nice, but what set it apart for me, is there is a music box in the bottom of it. When you lift it up, Edelweiss plays, when you set it down it stops.  I don't remember what I paid for it, when the bidding stopped the person sitting across from me said, "you paid too much, it will take you years to get your money back out of it." I didn't buy it as an investment, I bought it because I liked it. 

Ten years ago we spent a couple of weeks driving in Germany, I booked all of the hotels, we spent a night in Heidelberg.  

The arts group here at the condo has a glass display case in the community center, the theme for the current show is Oktoberfest, this stein is in the display that opens this weekend. 
 

Thursday Ramble: Who are We?

Books, computer keyboards, cameras, lenses, lectern, running shoes, coins, airplanes, bicycles, subway trains, honey bees, airline boarding passes, GPS unit, passport, scales of justice, maps, hotel key cards, do not disturb signs*, farms, nature trails, and city landscapes. Each of these has a meaning or connection to my life.  At various times other items would be included, or excluded.  

What objects and places paint the portrait of our lives?  If you were commissioning a family crest, what elements should it contain?  What are the most important one's.  One of my favorite books explains that legacy is how we want to be remembered.** Part of that is how we paint the portrait of our lives by the things and experiences that mean the most to us.  

Immortality is being remembered.  How will we be remembered?  Unless we are famous or infamous, we won't be remembered for long, a generation or two, and all of us will fade into the dust of history.  

What objects represent you? 

* I have a collection of hotel "Do Not Disturb" signs collected over the past 25 years. 

** How to Say it to Seniors, by David Solie (available on Amazon) 

I was struggling with a topic for today's post, this one has been in the working drafts folder for a couple of years, and it's time was today. I am glad it waited patiently. 

My World of Wonders - aka The Wednesday Ws September 10, 2025

The new Mall side entrance to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum 

Where have I been this week?  Dyke Marsh, Huntley Meadows, the Farmers Market, Aldi, the gym, King Street, Homegoods for photo frames, a walk in Potomac Yards.  

Who have a talked with this week? Friday was our monthly LGBTQ neighborhood gathering, Larry and Giuseppe hosted, Ana and Susan were there, and Rafael. On Saturday I went to the monthly community coffee gathering in the community center, I talked with Ruth, Ana, Susan, Charlie and a few others.  A planning call last week with Erica, Jessica, Malya, and Charlie. 

What have I been up to in the kitchen? Burgers on Thursday, Pizza on Friday, grilled chicken sandwiches on Saturday, turkey tenderloins and roast veggies. 

What travel plans have I been working on? A flight from Milan to Vienna, hotel in Milan, for next spring. I still have a couple of hotels to book. 

What is coming up this week? A reset for the art gallery and showcase, the colonial market at Mt Vernon, and a gallery opening. I will be due for a library visit soon. 

What is the email quote of the week? 

Unfortunately, the air conditioning in the Fitness Center has decided to take a little summer vacation of its own. We’re currently waiting on the arrival of a new compressor.  For some of you, this may be the perfect excuse to skip the Fitness Center guilt-free (“Sorry, can’t work out, management said so”). For others who absolutely must get your workout in, think of the condo's newest amenity: a luxury sauna with gym equipment included.

What made me stop and think this week? I realized the artists paint brush I was using was one of the first one's I bought, over 50 years ago. Two thoughts, how can it be 50 years, and if you buy quality it lasts if you take care of it.

What have I been reading? The Importance of Being Educable, by Leslie Valiant a professor at Harvard.  Kind of deep and theoretical, and exploration of what it means to be able to learn. When I finish that I have a book by Gordon Ramsay about travel and food to read. 

Who have I traded messages with this week? Doc Spo, Mitchell and Sean. 

What is the colorful bug? A spotted lantern fly, a nasty invasive species, if you see one, crush it. I crushed about 50 of them on my Sunday afternoon walk. 

Travel Tuesday: Reykjavik Iceland 2022

We have been to Iceland three times (four if you count changing planes), and I want to go back again. There are places to see, things to do, people to meet, foods to enjoy. 

Iceland is at risk of being over-touristed, especially in the summer.

 

Monday Mood: What Have I Been Reading

The title caught my eye at the library, I didn't read the subtitle, I just added it to my stack to check out. It is well written and a fast and breezy read. 

When Kyle turned 30 he wanted to do something special to mark leaving behind the angst of youth. For some silly reason he decided to build a cardboard viking ship and burn it to mark the end of his youth, and the start of adulthood. 

From that flowed the idea of building a larger viking ship, filling it with note cards of people's regrets in life and burning the whole thing. Many people find it therapeutic to write down their regrets.  The author Wendell Berry used to host an annual gathering at his farm where after dinner everyone was asked to write about things that they regretted or made them sad, and come forward and toss them in a bonfire. 

Kyle invited submissions, setting a goal of 10,000 cards. That is a lot of regrets he hoped he could help people let go of.  He gathered cards at speaking events, had them mailed to him, and set up a website where people could submit things they wanted to let go of. He read them all, broke them into categories, such as fears. One quote from the book, "the cave you fear to enter, contains the treasure you seek." There is even a chapter in regerts, or no regerts. 

In the end the boat was about 16 feet tall and over 30 feet long, made of cardboard over a wood frame. It took over two years to finish with some odd starts and stops.  It contained over 21,000 regrets, when it was burned. Symbolically letting go of fears, beliefs, and past mistakes. 

It was a good book. I know I tend to be a bit of a Hippy in my outlook on life. Reading things like this helps me to feed my mind with positive thoughts. 

Regrets, I have a few, 

Do you have regrets you should let go of. 

The Sunday Five: What is Your Art

Lobby of the Torpedo Factory Art Center

1: Describe the last time you visited an art gallery or museum? 

2: There are many different creative medias, what do you most enjoy? 

3: In looking at art, are you looking for meaning, or simply pleasure? 

4: When was the last time you took an art class? 

5: What is your creative media? 

My Answers: 

1: Describe the last time you visited an art gallery or museum?  Last week we went to lunch in Old Town Alexandria, then wandered through the Torpedo Factory Arts Center. 

2: There are many different creative medias, what do you most enjoy? Painting and photography. Maybe because I dabble. Most sculpture I really don't understand. 

3: In looking at art, are you looking for meaning, or simply pleasure? For me it is pleasure. There is a big debate if art is simply a way of telling a story to an unread mass.  

4: When was the last time you took an art class? In the early 1990s, I am well past due. 

5: What is your creative media? I am passionate about photography, and over the last year started to believe that some of what I do is worth sharing. I smear paint on canvas, I don't know if it is paining, but I find it relaxing and I enjoy it. I will warn you that if you come to visit and like one of my paintings, you may find it in the backseat of your car when you leave, in the words of Spo, I have heaps. 

Please share your answers in the comments. 

The Saturday Morning Post: 50 States in 52 Weeks: Oklahoma!

I was just a child the last time I was in Oklahoma, we passed through it on a couple of trips to and from Arizona back in the mid-60s. I was scheduled to go there in 2020 for a conference, COVID morphed that into a pre-recorded webinar (recorded in one take much the surprise of the recording engineer.) It is the only state I have been to, but not as an adult. 

Oklahoma is north of Texas out there in the middle of the great plains. 

Notably for me, it is home to the Federal Aviation Administration aircraft registry. If you have the tail number of a US registered aircraft you can research it's history, ownership and current status with them.  That is also the office that transfers legal ownership of airplanes in the USA. 

Unless I ever drive across the country, I will probably never go back to Oklahoma. 

Funky Friday: On This Day in 2005

20 Years! 

On this day in 2005 this blogging journey began with the image above. It is hard to believe that Travel and I have been bouncing around the world for over 20 years. It seems like began just yesterday. 

Along the way we have made some wonderful friends. Blogger tells me I have posted over 4,700 times, been viewed over 2.2-million times, and had over 46,000 comments.  Blogging has become a part of my life. I have even published an article about blogging as a hobby. 

I am looking forward to another year of blogging.

How can it be 20 years already?  

Onward for another 20 years or so. 

 

The Thursday Ramble: Bullish On Life

There is so much bull exhaust in the world, and yet I remain bullish on life. 

When I got on the elevator the other day, there were two older guys in the car, one with a walking cast on his foot, the other helping himself with a walking stick.  They made some remark about their challenges, and my response was, isn't it wonderful that we are up and moving about under our own power. I love a good simple walk. I try to walk an hour each day. If I needed wheels to move about, I would roll an hour a day. Get out and move. If you don't the vultures will start to circle. 

In the movie, "The Longest Day" there is a scene where a group of Nuns walk through artillery fire to attend to the wounded, because they are trained nurses and that is what they do.  Get out an walk boldly like those Nuns. 

There is so much beauty in the world. Stop and see it. Look around, art, nature, architure, and design are all around us. There is so much to take in. As I write this I turn to look out my window, and the trees are turning into the late summer early autumn yellow tinged green. More of an olive green, than the suffocating deep greens of summer and the almost fluorescent greens of spring. In a few months, the branches will show the underlying strength of the trees. There is beauty in all of this, I try to keep my eyes and mind open to take it all in. 

The library is filled with books I have not read.  I could indulge in a different book each day for the rest of my life, and never exhaust the supply.  Each one of them, even the ones I would set aside after a couple of pages, bring something to my life. (Sometimes we need to sample what we don't like, to help us understand what we do like.) 

The world is filled with wonderful people.  Now I know some people are despicable, best avoided, while karma catches up with them. But there are so many polite, kind, interesting, fun, or funny people.  I talk to strangers. I gain something from each interaction. (I also check the BBC homepage each morning looking for the Big Beautiful Obituary - in all of this post, I know this one sentence will draw the most comments.) 

A long time friend of mine has recently had cochlear implant surgery, restoring hearing lost to a decade as an artillery commander.  He said it is so wonderful to be able to follow a conversation again, to hear the leaves rustle in the wind, the birds chirping.  To hear life again. I am so happy for him. 

It is a bit of a struggle to avoid the bullshit and focus on the joys and wonders of life, but I need to do this, or surrender my dignity.  

I remember a conversation with someone who was being hounded by debt collectors. She felt hopeless, to point of thinking about suicide. I assessed the situation and gave her both a legal and a human advice.  She had nothing that the debt collectors could take, in legal terms she was collection proof. She could hang up and refuse to answer the calls of the debt collectors and there was nothing they could do to her. Then I gave her a little human advice, "all the debt collectors can take from you is your dignity, and you don't have to let them do that." 

In challenging times, don't let the bullshit take your dignity. There are intentional efforts to make us angry, knowing that it steals our dignity and peace of mind. We don't have to listen. 

I saw this the other day, the bourbon industry is taking a beating. And Canada makes some rather good stuff. They are not letting BS get in the way of good booze. 

A tasty souvenir from Toronto.

My World of Wonders - aka The Wednesday Ws - It is September Already?

 

Where have I been? The VW shop, out to lunch on a Mia's at King and Union Streets, Amazon Fresh, Trader Joe's, the Library, the King Street Farmers Market, a couple of slow drives out to Mt Vernon and back - just because it is a beautiful drive. The treadmill, the indoor pool, a drive out to Great Falls National Park and back, the line to get in was over 1/2 a mile long, we came back home. 

What is my profound thought of the week? We need a favorite local drive, when I lived in Orlando, it was the back road from Oviedo to Winter Springs (Tuscawilla), in Lexington it was the road from Versailles to Frankfort, here it is the George Washington Parkway from Alexandria to Mt Vernon. Pretty and relaxing. 

Who deserves a slap this week? AI spambots. They post comments that write a quasi summary of the post, but what they are really doing is linking to their blogs packed with advertising. I mark them as spam and delete them. If they want to advertise on my blog, Adsense will be glad to sell them space.  Five out of Five slaps. 

Who have I talked to this week? Hmm, the week before was very social, this week has been kind of quiet. The father of a neighbor who was visiting for a few days, we talked about living here around the pool the other day. 

What am I watching on YouTube?

• Brian's Life In France is a delightful spin-off from Escape to Rural France.  He is a delightful Irish man, living and working in rural France who invites us along for the ride. 
• https://www.youtube.com/@Brianslifeinfrance 
• Chateau Poseidon is a new channel, two guys from British Columbia who have bought a massive chateau and are laboring away on restoring it and building a new life. A cute youngish couple. They post once a week. 
• https://www.youtube.com/@ChateauPoseidon
• Holly the Cafe Boat is back, after a long absence.  They have a second baby, and have sold both boats - I hope their transition to land based vlogging goes well. They are really talented content creators. 
• https://www.youtube.com/@HollyTheCafeBoat 
• Printmaking with Eugene, a small channel that talks about the joys and challenges of creating as a hobby. He posts about once a week, and the videos are short, less than 10 minutes. 
• https://www.youtube.com/@PrintmakingwithEugene 

What have I been up to in the kitchen?  A nice cheese spread, poached eggs, salmon, roasted veggies and chicken, and an apple tart. Potato salad, baked beans, a simple stuffed pasta with a veal and mushroom sauce, 

When is the next adventure? Other than next spring, nothing is planned. I imagine I will do something, I don't know what. 

What is new around the condo? The indoor pool started "winter" hours on Tuesday, being open many more hours.  The outdoor pool is open for a few more days, but the water has cooled the point that only the hardiest go in beyond their knees.   

 

Travel Tuesday: Arizona Fall 2018

I let the wheel spin in the archive to see where we end up this week. In the fall if 2018, I stopped over in Phoenix to see Spo, on my way to a speaking engagement in California. 

The entrance to a garage, or the Bat Cave

 

Monday Mood: Falling in Love Again

A text message late last Tuesday informed me that my little car had been repaired and was ready to be picked up from the VW mechanics. Rather than face evening rush hour traffic I responded that I would be by in the morning to pick it up. So early Wednesday morning, I hopped on the condo shuttle to the subway station and took the train four stops north, then walked 15 minutes west from the station to retrieve the car. I had dropped it off the Thursday before. I had told them to take their time, that getting the car back was not critical for us, most people are screaming at them that they need the car back today. It is a second car, and we don't drive much, so it really was not a rush.

Before pulling out into traffic, I stopped and put the top down. Suddenly I was reminded why I bought that car. Why I pay the cost of keeping it. I only drive the car about 1,500 miles a year, I have driven it over 60 miles in the first 4 days, almost all of them with the top down. It is small and easy to drive. And when I put the top down, my smile comes up. I find myself falling in love again. 

To be sure, keeping a second car is a luxury. We really don't need it, and I have to pay tax and insurance on it, and then there are repairs, fixing the top was over $1,000, and there were other repairs deemed critical.  But it brings me joy. 

Is anything that brings joy into our life, really a luxury? Is love a luxury? 

The Sunday Five: Early or Late

1: Are you an early bird, or the second mouse? 

2: Which is more annoying to you the person who is always early, or the person who is always last to arrive? 

3:  When was a time when you were memorably late? 

4: How long before departure time do you leave for the airport? 

5: How long do you wait for someone who is running late? 

My Answers: 

1: Are you an early bird, or the second mouse?  I am almost always early. 

2: Which is more annoying to you the person who is always early, or the person who is always last to arrive?  I enjoy talking with other early birds, I try not to judge those who are not early. 

3:  When was a time when you were memorably late? My parents funeral, I missed a turn and was 20 minutes late, by brother-in-law was 30 minutes late and he lived 3 miles away. 

4: How long before departure time do you leave for the airport? I can be at my home airport in 30 minutes, so between 2 and 2.25 hours. 

5: How long do you wait for someone who is running late? Meeting start within five minutes, beyond that 10 to 20 minutes. 

Please share your answers in the comments.

The Saturday Morning Post: 50 States in 52 Weeks: Ohio

The Art Museum in Cleveland Ohio 

I have long ago lost track of the number of times I have visited Ohio. Located south of Michigan, north of Kentucky, west of Pennsylvania, east of Indiana Ohio is very much in the center of the Midwest, and the gateway to the eastern United States.  The state has three major cities, the three Cs, Cleveland in the north on Lake Erie, Columbus kind of in the middle, and Cincinnati in the south on the Ohio River. In between there is miles, and miles, and miles of gently rolling farmland, old industrial towns, and in the south east, petroleum production. 

There are great art museums in Cleveland and Cincinnati. A major military aircraft museum in Dayton (on last September's road trip and breakfast with Diaday.) 

The Sweet Bear is from Cleveland, we have made many trips there to visit family. Cincinnati was a great city escape when we lived in Lexington Kentucky, less than a 100 miles away. Cincinnati has many more big city amenities like museums and shopping than Lexington, it made a great weekend getaway or day trip. 

Ohio is probably underrated as a tourist destination, there are many things to see and do.  The winters are a bit much for me - the West Side Market in Cleveland is one of the best in the country. 

There are major airports in Cleveland and Columbus. If you fly into Cincinnati, you are actually flying into Kentucky - just across the river.