Yesterday I sat through one of those friendly interrogations that precedes a major medical procedure, aimed at learning my relevant (and irrelevant) medical history. I presume they got what they needed to hear as the procedure went forward, we hope successfully.
What I got out of that interrogative experience was a realization of all the ills to which flesh falls heir; all the "uglies" I've managed to elude in a relatively long life. I've got a lot for which to be thankful - basically for good health, and for having parents who, in the words of Star Trek's Spock, "lived long and prospered."
Heredity is more important than commonly believed in health and longevity. So ... Thanks for long-lived parents and thanks for relatively healthy habits and a healthy occupation - professors tend to be both long-winded and long-lived. And thanks for a life spent mostly in rural CA, the best of both worlds - CA weather and scenery without the congestion, traffic and pollution.
Most important, thanks for the other DrC, my dear wife of 41+ years. She can do everything I can do except open stuck jar tops and back up a trailer, and she can do many things I cannot, all of them important.
Also thanks to the nice staff at UPMC-Presby (University of Pittsburgh - Presbyterian Hospital). Everyone there was super nice. They even have valet parking - love it.
