ELECTION 2024

You may have noticed that I don't make nearly as many political posts as I used to. Why not? I realize that my incisive & insightful comments rarely changed any minds & fell on deaf ears, mostly preaching to the choir. Having said that, I will be voting for those candidates & initiatives that align most closely to my conservative values positions. I may not like a candidate personally, but I can't abide a candidate who favors unrestricted slaughter of the unborn. So, there you have it.

ROAD TRIP UPDATE

Hard to choose our most favorite road trip so far this year. Our trip out west for our niece's wedding celebration & sibling reunion ranks right up there, despite my unfortunate fall & need to be rescued by Bellevue Fire & Rescue. So does our recent cruise to Europe, which included London, ports in Spain, France, Malta, Sicily, Pompeii, Rome, & the unlimited drink package on Princess Plus. We're making a trip to Lincoln this week, but I usually don't include these as qualified road trips. I'm representing OGT at the Nebraska District LCMS Middle School Gathering in Lincoln.

LET'S TALK ABOUT CORNHUSKER FOOTBALL

Let's not.

SURGERY UPDATE

I had a surgical procedure in Omaha on 10/23 to decompress 2 nerves in my neck. It was a little more complicated than anticipated, since the surgeon had to go through the back of my neck instead of the front, due to concerns by my cardiologist. [Don't ask.] One nerve was pinched a little more severely than the other. I did have to begin a course of steroids for some inflammation this past week, but I've been off painkillers for several days. Not allowed to bend my neck or twist from side to side or lift more than 10 lbs for awhile. I'm coping.

RESOLUTIONS REVIEW

> Lose weight. A. I know, low-hanging fruit, but I've lost some significant weight over the last month, so there's hope.

> Limit myself to no more than 2 cups of coffee per day. B.

> Visit at least 1 NP or NM this year. A+.

> Limit my reading to 1 partisan news source per day. B.

> Avoid picking fights on Facebook. A.

> Walk at least 4X per week. B-. I did a lot of walking on our road trip to Europe last month--18,000 steps one day!

> Finish writing & publishing a devotion book. B. I'm excited to announce that LifeLight Publishing has accepted my proposal to publish "Buzzwords," another 365-day devotion book. I'm working on my final edits now.

> G.P.A.    B. 

TRENDING NEWS *

* From the Babylon Bee, your trusted source of fake news

> Nation anxiously waits to see which side will be denying election results.

> Dad says results of Halloween candy inspection could be delayed up to 2 weeks.

> Nation takes solace in fact that no matter who wins election, the political text messages will stop. COMMENT:  I deleted 20 of those texts today, & that just represents the last week. Sheesh!

TODAY'S QUOTE

"The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism." Norman Vincent Peale [Uncle John's Awesome 35th Anniversary Bathroom Reader]

DEPT. OF SHAMELESS JOKE-STEALING *

* Compliments of Reader's Digest, Nov. 2024

I work in a nursing home, & one morning I was helping a gentleman who was particularly hard to wake. As I coaxed him to sit up & get ready for breakfast, he fixed his twinkling blue eyes on my face & said, "My, you're pretty! Have I asked you to marry me yet.?" "No you haven't," I replied, shyly. "Good," he said, "because I can't put up with this every morning!"