Health update

Took my last dose of prescribed antibiotics this morning. Let's hope I stay healthy for a while. When you're a self-employed businessman, being sick and run down has economic consequences.

On the other hand, getting through the transition with the purchase of a business is an accomplishment. The two are somewhat related. We're still in the black, and still growing.

Interesting observation for today

I attended an event where a four-year old cancer survivor was presented with a very nice gift by the Make-a-Wish Foundation. It was hosted at a local church, in the fellowship hall. As I arrived I saw people filing into the building single-file. It was a normal door, not a double door.

There was a man at the door shaking peoples' hands and greeting them. I assumed he was there for that purpose. But as I stepped up to the door he turned away and ignored me. I just walked in.

It reminded me that in small towns, which are always considered more "friendly", that friendliness sometimes extends to people who know each other. It's rough when you are an outsider in a small town, at least in the beginning. In this case, the man at the door - who was a relative of the child honoree - didn't know me and it's not in his world view to shake hands with a stranger. It wasn't intentional

I've actually encountered a few cases over the years where people who didn't know me couldn't engage in conversation because they literally don't know how to talk to strangers. I'm gregarious and will strike up a conversation with anyone, but I've had a few example where people couldn't respond to my banter because they never have the opportunity speak to people they don't know beforehand.

On the mend

I started taking antibiotics Thursday, and this morning I'm feeling better. I was walking around with a sinus infection for a few weeks. As I said before, I am usually able to recover from a cold or flu, but the stress caused by the circulation management problem at the newspaper probably cratered my immune system.

The biggest symptom that something was wrong was how I would run out of stamina by like 5 p.m. I'm not usually exhausted by the time I get home from the office. But I didn't have the energy to do anything in the evening. I assumed that was because of the energy my body was utilizing fighting the infection.

Overall I think I'm still pretty healthy - for an old fart of 61 - and I'm getting better.