Yesterday was bright, sunny, and the humidity which is prevalent in the DC/Maryland area was non-existent. My mother-in-law is on her way home. The week’s visit wasn’t that bad. I’ll miss my partner, though, as he drove her back to her home and will spend the weekend and return Monday.

The “honey-do” chores are all done, and I have the whole weekend to myself! Woo-hoo! Time for this biker to pull on his boots, leathers, and get out for a ride!

But wait… my heart strings were pulled when I visited my aunt in the morning. There she is, confined indoors when it’s so nice outside. Instead of riding to nowhere just for me, instead, I gently got my aunt into her wheelchair and took her for a walk. Well, let’s say I did the walking, but she enjoyed the outing! There I am in leather jeans, biker boots, and a leather shirt, smiling as I stroll along with my aunt. She’s so sweet. I think the fresh air did her good, and her smile is all I need to warm my heart.

By the time I got back home, I had to do some consulting work and before I knew it, time had flown and it was too late to go for a ride. My priorities changed, but for the good of my aunt’s health, and my own happiness.

Tomorrow, though, this tall-booted leather-wearing guy is definitely going for a ride! It’s about damn time!

Life is short: show those you love that you love them.

The doctor quickly felt my forehead, and re-read the blood pressure results … 91/54. “Are you alive?” She looked at me with grave concern.

This happened actually while on a visit to the doctor with my aunt. I have had to take her to weekly follow-up visits with her regular physician. It’s quite an ordeal, as my aunt can barely walk, yet we have to navigate six steps to get her out of her building and into a wheelchair. Once in the chair, then we take her to a car, then transfer her into it, then go to the doctor’s office on the other side of her complex.

Yesterday, the doctor wanted to know my aunt’s blood pressure. As the tech was preparing to wrap the blood pressure cuff around my aunt’s arm, my aunt reacted with alarm, “what’s that???” I reassured her that it’s nothing new, nothing strange, and wouldn’t hurt. My aunt was still dubious. (Damn Alzheimer’s… my aunt forgot what is done to measure blood pressure.)

So I stuck out my arm and asked the tech to take my blood pressure, so I could show my aunt that it doesn’t hurt. The tech complied, and the result showed on the screen of the blood pressure device just as the doctor walked into the room. I explained what I had done. The doctor glanced at the results, and then asked, “are you alive?”

For men of my height, age, and size, such a blood pressure reading is considered to be borderline “low.” I do not quite know why my BP is so low, but it’s better that way than being high, which requires medical attention, medication, and can lead to a variety of other problems.

I guess having a low BP enables me to remain calm when others get upset and angry. It takes quite a bit to get me upset. I have been angry, but when I am upset, I do not yell, scream, or throw temper tantrums. I write. I write and write and write. I direct my anger to its source. That seems to keep me calm. I do not know why.

Nonetheless, the doctor advised me to see my regular physician as a follow-up. I may — or may not — as my last full physical was just a couple months ago and I’m okay, including my BP. My doc knows that I have borderline low BP and hasn’t asked me to change anything, but to keep an eye on potential symptoms. I only have one of those symptoms, which I won’t mention, but is manageable.

Anyway, I got a big laugh when the doctor asked me about how I was feeling, and if I were alive, as an outcome of reading my blood pressure. Yeah, I affirm, I’m fine. Calm, cool, collected….

Life is short: what’s your B.P.?

Yesterday, the heat index where I live was 105°F (40.5°C). Today, it is projected to be as high as 115°F (46°C). This is just ridiculous. Who says there’s no global warming? Oh yeah, right, you read my posts during our relentless, patience-wearing, Snowpocalypse II and its earlier brother, the Blizzard of ’09.

I had to go see my aunt yesterday, and did something that I rarely do: I drove my truck and kept the AC on. I rarely use the AC in my truck, and when it’s dry and sunny, I prefer to ride my motorcycle. But it was just way too hot to sit on a heat-producing bike in jeans and boots.

I did wear boots yesterday when I went out, but wore short Chip Bombers that are loose and lightweight. I have to be honest, though, as soon as I got home, I got naked. Yep, I stripped off all of my sweaty clothes, put them in the wash, and didn’t put any other clothing (or boots) on for the rest of the day.

Yeah, I have AC in my house, but I chose not to turn it on. I stayed in the basement most of the time where it is naturally very cool. I also prepared some home-cooked meals that keep well. This was in advance of our annual summer visit by the mother-in-law, who arrives later today. Oh, joy… but that’s another story.

I relented and turned the AC on about 7pm so it would be cool enough to sleep on the bedroom level (upper floor) by the time I went to bed at 8:30pm.

BTW, in case you were wondering, my partner left yesterday morning to drive to his mother’s home in da’ ‘burgh, and bring her back today. Oh, joy.

Meanwhile, it was kinda fun being alone… naked… and working at the computer, catching up on some reading of professional journals on-line, answering backlogged email, and not having to do anything other than what I wanted to do.

Well, I wanted to make a video as I had some time, but I am totally out of video ideas, and it was too hot to make one outside, anyway. Oh well, perhaps someone will give me an idea for a video that isn’t too strange, impossible, or difficult to do alone. My partner will take his mother back home at the end of next week, so I’ll have another day to myself when she’s gone to do some video work, if I can think of something, and hopefully, the weather will be more cooperative.

Life is short: it’s also too hot, sometimes.