Focused at Fifty

Recently, my medical insurance offered a discount on our medical costs for filling out a rather lengthy questionnaire about our health habits. Since I am pretty healthy, I didn't have a problem with the request. Plus, I would be saving $5.00 a paycheck for filing it out and an additional $5.00 a paycheck for being a nonsmoker. I thought it was a pretty good deal. Whenever I can save on medical costs, I'm game! I began the questionnaire on Friday at work and after 30 minutes, I saved my work and figured I would come back on Monday and complete it.  On Monday, and another 30 minutes later, the health program questionnaire was completed.  It prompted me to click and submit my answers, noting that they were final and could not be changed. I clicked yes. I mean after all, it was just a bunch of easy to answer health related questions. I could have done it with my eyes closed!  What could go wrong? The screen was still as the results of the questionnaire were being ...

This evening I was watching the football championship games with a good friend Lou and we were talking about the game and comparing the teams and players. My mind wandered back to high school playing flag football during gym class. I had caught the football from a long pass and scored my one and only touchdown in 6 years of high school. One of guys that bullied me for so many years said to me, "Nice catch Haynes." I grunted back trying to be cool. I think I sounded like a beagle. Granted it was only flag football but it meant something as I really sucked at sports. In fact, that entire first half of high school really sucked.  I was a classic nerd, geek, dork, book worm, what have you. Though as an adult, proud of it to this day. It toughened me up through years of abuse by the jocks. Ah yes ... another blog in the making. Another time though! While in elementary school, I tried the little league baseball thing. I loved playing catch with my Dad and my br...

How does one begin their holiday season? Well, one may begin by shopping for gifts for that special someone. Another may begin by donating some time to charity.  And still another may begin by attending any one of a  myriad of holiday events and parties. My 2011 holiday season had a more embarrassing and I might add, quite disgusting, beginning. It was the day of our holiday party at my job. I was feeling very festive and finally felt like my holiday season was beginning. Sure, we had the party in our break room. It was even OK that we had no alcohol. It was also fine that I didn't even get to sample the famed spiced apple cider made yearly by my supervisor. I was just happy to be beginning my holiday season after two prior stressful work weeks. The holiday party was alot of fun and the rest of the day went quickly. With shopping bags in hand filled with gifts from coworkers, I strode out to my car with my friends. I think I eve...

Ridgefield For the final post in my 3 part blog series on my trip to California in the June 2011, I want to tell you about a couple meals out that I had with the family.  Martha's son Scott, his wife Tina, and their children built a house named Ridgefield two lots down from Dad and Martha, right on the edge of the Arcata Community Forest.  Ridgefield is a beautiful modern style formal house which is available for parties and events. It sits back in a large field with the redwoods towering above it. A large patio/deck extends off the left side of the house.  It is beautiful and classic, and yet inside, modern and open. Scott and Tina invited Dad, Martha, my sister Sheryl, and I over for an authentic vegan Indian meal. In attendance were their kids: youngest Serene Belle,  young gentleman Westleigh, sweetheart Emma, and the wonderful Elysia with her husband, Daryl. I am not experienced eating Indian or vegan cuisine so I looked at...

Sometimes all you need is that perfect song to put you in a good mood. It amazes me how certain songs from my past and present evoke such great memories and feelings. I was in such a miserable mood this morning at work and popped a CD in my computer. My mood changed almost immediately. Thank you to that certain song for changing my mood! I needed it after a difficult morning. Many years back, I went on a trip with my sister Sheryl to see Mom in the Florida Keys. Everytime now that I hear Gloria Estefan's album gloria! , it evokes such strong memories of that trip with Sheryl. With a Caribbean dance theme, the music takes me back to 1998, driving down US Route 1 south through the Keys, the car CD player blasting, smelling the salt air, the warm ocean breeze, passing palm trees, resorts, and marinas. What a wonderful time! On the flip side, a certain song will also bring me to tears thinking about Mom. There are songs that she listened to which remind me of my childhood...

While visiting Dad and Martha out in California for my 41st birthday, I was treated to meal after meal of new culinary experiences! As I stated in the blog article before, Martha is an accomplished cook and the simplest of lunches and dinners were elevated to gourmet status by her deft hand. For instance, one evening, Martha started us off with homemade pita and hummus. Tastes even better homemade! We dined on a medium rare rib eye. Unfortunately, as Martha, Dad, and I agreed, the ribeye turned out to be a bit tough, even cooked medium rare. BUT, our meal was elevated by grilled asparagus with an aoili sauce and roasted potatoes with an herbed mayonnaise of parsley, oregano, and chives. We drank a lovely 2009 Menage A Trois , a California red wine consisting of 3 varietals: Merlot, Cabernet, and Zinfandel. Dad had also picked up a wine to try, Poor Bob's California red wine. The irony of the name didn't escape my father, Bob. Unfortunately, although named extremely wel...

The best vacations leave you with incredible memories. Usually those memories are of places and things seen. Vistas, views, people seen, artwork, shows, treasure found and bought, and evenings out make up the memories most often associated with a great holiday away! My trip in June with my sister Sheryl out to Arcata, California, to see my Dad and my stepmom Martha was no exception to that idea but with one major addition, the food!  My stomach growls as write this. It was truly a vacation of epicurean delights!   (SOURCE) We traveled out for my 41st birthday and I knew I would eat well. Martha is an incredibly accomplished cook, and a cookbook author in her own right!  She has cowritten a wonderful cookbook, Locally Delicious: Recipes and Resources for eating on the North Coast  with 5 of her good friends. The ladies call themselves the Heirloom Tomatoes with each having tomato names reflective of their personalities. Martha is the Jersey Devil Tomato!...