Life is good, and love, even just remembered love is awesome...

As I take a long look back, at the falling apart as my body fails a system at a time, and the best medical technology, and doctors and medications attempt to slow, stop or reverse a trend or failure... I will have to take time to remember how wonderful it was to be in love, to receive love and to feel loved. Can I remember the dollars, sure, I still have little cash books where I spent how much for what and when - but that is all nothing when compared with the time in love... it is nothing.

I do feel very good now, am gaining strength and working out a little harder and trying to be a much better me than yesterday. Hope I am doing it at the proper pace, don't want to hurry and hurt some thing... so a glass of wine, and good night. Tomorrow comes early, and I will shoot at least the first day of Appleseed, may rest and praise the LORD on Sunday, and give thanks for all that I have received, especially all the love, that counts big time... why didn't I pay more attention to making it bigger and better? Well, it was very fine what ever I got and all I gave, it was all good. Good night, and wake to more of God's blessings on the morrow.

So things are happening in Ukraine...

And you think of it as part of Russia.... sigh.

Public education system, huh?

So go watch Taras Bulba, 1962. Filmed in Argentina.... they had horses, and pampas which are almost steppes.  After seeing the movie - go look for the story - in English, I won't strain you into trying Russian.

Taras Bubla by Gogol   from gutenburg.org thank them very much. Now back to my reading.

Don't push it...

Got up early, packed out and said farewell to wife, she was going hiking and I was going to Oregon to try shooting Known Distance at Douglas Ridge Rifle Club. Almost three hours later I was there. So was the RAIN, heavy constant storms dropping water upon us. Still, except for two shooters, we swam on.

The first surprise was one round, cold bore, at Captain Morgan's shingle on the Redcoat target. Hmm, okay, I am not impressed by cold bore, and there is a zero on my M1 and settle down and break the ice. Bang! Cease Fire, Cease fire, cease fire. Unload and Clear. Is the line clear on the right, on the left. Go to your target and look.

Well, look at that, I hit it! Then the Shoot Boss comes by and awards a patch for joining Morgan's Riflemen. How cool is that? Immediately I thought I should just pack it up, it will never get better than that shot. But it was so nice that I had Ralph take a picture of this humble (?) shooter, there were eight others that did it also, but many of them were using optics, but the equipment is helpful, but in the end it is all the shooter for the refinement.

I had a fine day and a half, I changed to Range Safety Office and coach/instructor, seems my pacemaker wound is not happy with too much activity. I did like splashing around with the others and watching them get better and shoot an AQT, Spent the night safe, warm and dry with one of the shooters at his home. I was knocked out after a hot shower. My wallet was holding lots of paper pulp, the money and plastic always do better on swimming than the business cards, and appointment notes. What is the reason the Medicare Card isn't plastic, too?

Impressed am I...

So Valentine's Day, many things come to mind. But most importantly I thought deeply about heart.

I had to, I was in a ultra sound examination, of my heart. I got to look at a computer representation of my heart, beating, alive and well.  Very humbling, something that I am that I couldn't build myself without lots of directions.

So the cardiologist has lots of various pictures, many in motion, of my heart and I should be finished. Still, I do understand better why ultrasound examinations often change people's minds about physical reality.

01:30 here and why am I awake?

Heavy constant rains, gurgling in the gutters and down the drain spouts, soaking the soil. Which the Caravan will make fine ruts.  My wife is hiking in the morning with her group, it will be raining. I will go and do another light work out at the YMCA, a few more kilometers on the rowing machine, most of the cardio will come from hot ladies in yoga pants and the bicycle which only faces a concrete block wall and has the video screen to divert me.

Final cleaning, greasing of the M1 tomorrow - I ought to find a name for that rifle, except I have never named my rifles. Should name them all, but then I might have conversations with them. I have had two calls to confirm my appointment on Friday, I have finished my form for the last rifle I purchased, since I hadn't used my whole middle name when I filled it out.

Should be a fine weekend in Oregon shooting known distance on Douglas Ridge Rifle range, I will go slow, don't need to cause myself any problems and I want to make every shot count. Since I have been taking some long hard naps, I guess I don't need as much time asleep - best start reading again. NFO is about to release his book, which I will likely get in kindle and hard cover. He bought me lunch once and I have read the beta versions and I liked it.

You know, nothing went according to plan for me today...

So, I should just whine and holler about how unfair life is...

But I did meet the most charming, attractive and nice young lady from Ukraine, with just a touch of accent, braids, boots and beautiful smile. Made me wish I were a young fool again, but luckily no one granted that whim. Still I did get her attention most of my day where she worked. There is hope for the world's future.

While in the hospital, finally done with my appointment, (now knowing my pacemaker battery will go for twelve years if nothing else changes, the wiring is sound and can be adjusted by competent medical staff with equipment - if I die the pacemaker will wear itself out early trying to get my heart beat above zero) I was walking down the hall and saw an older man with an 82nd Airborne ball cap on... so I stopped and talked about our time in the Division and at Fort Bragg.  He was in during the 50s and had spent time on the beach in Lebanon back then -- y'all remember that don't you? Great conversation, I even got introduced to his wife when she showed up. We talked jumping out of perfectly good aircraft, his older than mine. Good conversations.

I also stopped at a library and read a whole Robert Parker, printed after his departure, pretty good, although I am almost sure he would have taken a bunch more words out of the finished product. Vinnie and Hawk were as awesome as ever.

So, I do hope you like my day when it didn't go my way - as a finish, in the mail is a nice package of new photographs of the grandchildren and our son and daughter-in-law. Can't beat a day like today - not even if I had planned it.

I have found the fountain of youth...

Nah, not really, and I am not interested. Watching 'Traffic' which is how the lost culture of America destroyed itself - chemically. The War on Drugs. Makes one think they don't know it all yet, do they? But since they were defeated by godless Communists in Vietnam, and Hugh Hefner degraded all women to Playmates of the Month or two, we should legalize drugs --- or that seems to be the way they are moving.

Since I don't follow the godless Communists, Hugh Hefner, nor the government that thinks legalization will increase the tax base and won't harm the rest of the sober industrious - which they are already taxing - life will be good for the fools in charge. It is very easy to stop illegal activities, make everything legal.

That isn't going to happen, and it isn't everyone that will become a drug addict or alcoholic, or rapist, or murderer. I think I know what will stop the traffic in drugs, guns, and un-pasturized milk. When they haven't any customers. Just like the evil cigarettes and the tobacco products - no customers no profit. Well, enough of my crazy idea that people are supposed to be more responsible than the law allows. I mean, even almost saintly I, I have had whole un-pasturized milk, it was good. Do you supposed there are other things the government doesn't want us to use and know about that won't harm us nor anyone else?

Only did two rides on the bicycle today, but that was only thirty minutes worth of expercise. I did get my heart rate up to 149(?) and averaged 83 or 97 during the rides. I don't believe the 149, it is only a machine, it could have gotten it wrong. Will check with the doctor tomorrow. While at the YMCA, waiting for my wife to finish her time in the water, I found my perfect olde man challenge, a Triathlon! Called 'TRI BEYOND YOUR LIMITS',   So for fifteen dollars I can, swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, and run 26.3 miles. And be a rusty man  I would be allowed five weeks to finish it at my own pace. Starts March 17 to April 25.

My only problem is paying fifteen dollars for the opportunity, usually one would be offered a t-shirt with cool design. I haven't seen one offered.

Oh, the fountain of youth, just a couple blocks from the Hungarian Home and the High School, and close to the movie theater, in Ligonier of my youth. Google Ligonier, PA and go for images, I didn't see it. But then I left in 1970 on my way to Vietnam, and my family was moving to Morgantown, WV.