by Anura Guruge
on April 28, 2024
Click images to ENLARGE.
With Judge Landya B. McCafferty
(who was incredibly nice & awfully impressive).
After 38 years as an alien (100% legal to boot) it takes time to sink in — especially in my old age. The kids think it is funny. Nobody, but nobody, has asked me of my nationality, directly, in that year. [Yes, I have to answer it if I apply for a credit card — which I do, occasionally, when I want to exploit all the 0% APR offers I get.]
I have voted in two elections — one Primary & the other local. In the Primary, to the surprise of many (& the disgust of my kids) I voted for a Republican! Ironic, BUT there is some symmetry. I only became a Democrat in 2004 (thanks to the younger ‘Shrub’ (who, to be honest, I vaguely like). Prior to that, for at least two decades I had been an ARDENT Conservative/Republican. I adored Regan. I so wanted the ‘Shrub’ to win in 2000. Then he totally disappointed me. My politics have changed over the year! Yes, I am still 70% a Democrat. But, I will NOT vote for Biden. That is a given. He has disappointed me too — & I used to be such a HUGE fan. But, I also have some major conservative tendencies. I am fiscally conservative, I WANT BORDER CONTROLS, I have some conservative leaning views when it comes to current social issue — BUT, I am 100% Pro-Choice. But, I can live with this. From what I can see, come November, I will NOT be voting for a President — but, I will vote down ballot (and many of those are likely to be Democrats). SMILE. It is NOT easy being I. SMILE.
So, during this last year:
>> I turned 70. Shortly afterwards, having waited 61 years to be told so, I was told I was Pre-Diabetic. NOT HAPPY. Doing my darndest to try & control it — though without much success. I have lost close to 25lbs ( 11Kg). I now weigh LESS than 140lbs (63.5 Kg, 10s). That is the LEAST I have weighed in all my adult life. I am delighted. I weighed myself this morning — & was quite SHOCKED! I am still losing weight. I am OK with that. Just surprised because I am eating like the glutton I am. Must be old age.
>> My youngest daughter (my youngest (of 4)) got her driver’s license in September 2023. [I think I got her a car.]
>> My youngest (i.e., daughter) turned 18 in March 2024. All my kids are grown up. Wow. I had to wait till 70 for that.
>> I had to call 911 twice — but fortunately nothing to do with us per se. One was to have a deer, trapped on a frozen lake, rescued & the other was when a truck caught fire across the road from us.
>> On April 8, 2024, I got to see the TOTALITY of the Solar Eclipse. That was cool.
>> I published 3 books. 2 in 2023, & one last week. SMILE. Kind of par for the course, i.e., 2 or 3 books a year. I think that was the 42nd as the SOLE-AUTHOR. I think I have 3 or 4 more as a joint author. I don’t count those.
So, those were the highlights. Wasn’t a bad year. Did a fair amount of trips. Met all my ambling goals — without missing a single. That makes me happy. So, I ambled in EXCESS of 6 MILLION STEPS as a citizen. Over 2,800 miles!
So, here is to the next year. Maybe this time next year, I will be more attuned to being a citizen.
