Pipeology - The Fine Art of Pipe Smoking and Thought

 I've been told I hide my stress well.  My family has seen the ugly side of stress, but most often it's hidden.  I do whatever it takes to manage stress.  This is why my Spirit Guides want me to never stop taking my meds.  I've made sure I have for 30 years.  There for awhile it seemed almost impossible for me to get them, but I've always managed to get proper care so I could have them.   But it's not just medications.  It is whatever I have to do to manage stress.  I almost at times wish I could change my theology, but I can't.  If I could have done that, I'd still be in the Church.  So, because I can't change it, I've had to learn to deal with it, but I never let the professionals know why I have to my meds.  I simply tell them to not change the meds.  Just make sure I have them.  I don't want to get into why they are important. I've had the best care for saving my life.  My thinking is that if I do my par...

 I follow college football, even in the off-season, just because I like it.  But as for all other sports, probably not.  I start getting into college basketball around mid-February, but other than this, I pay little attention to sports.  But the other night Fox had a baseball game they televised between the Yankees and the Red Sox.  I have never been a Yankees fan.  But as I watched the last half of that game, I think I became one at least for that night. The Yankees have always been able to buy the best team in the major leagues, so I became a hater of the Yankees.  But several things happened in that game that made me a believer--of sorts.  A Yankee batter hit a foul tip that really clobbered the catcher.  The Yankee's batter put his hand on the shoulder of the Red Sox catcher asking him if he was alright.  And then Aaron Judge, true to form, drove in the winning run with a double.  The Yankees won 11-8 in ten innings. But it was ...

 I live with the 30/80 rule.  Due to my heart condition I can't do strenuous work if it's either under 30 degrees or over 80 degrees.  This means I can't mow if it's hot and I can't shovel snow if it's cold.  So, I've been limited in what I can do and as long as I live in a place where I don't have to do either, I'll be just fine.  Even in exercising in a gym I have to be careful.  I need exercise but too much of a good thing can do more harm than good.  I can relax outside in temps of 90 or higher in high humidity, but this is about all I can do outside here in Florida. But I've learned to live with my limitations.  It can be like a sauna here in Florida and I still do things, but I have to be careful in how much I do.  I am constantly aware of the fact another heart attack could end my life.  There are times when I know I overdo it, but I always make sure I have plenty of water and never try to do too much.  But the good news in a...

 My wife liked my review of the movie  of "Planet of Prehistoric Women" so much so she can't wait to it, but I think she was just kidding.  But maybe I need to review of sci-fi movies more often.  Yesterday was a travel day and although I had something I wrote for yesterday, I deleted it thinking I can do better.  And since we got in early afternoon and thought about posting, I didn't want to write something just to post something.   I want a post to be good.  And there are times when I've deleted something only to write it better.  I usually work a day ot two ahead always making sure I have something for the next day.  I wrote for yesterday while in NY, but I decided writing for today from Florida would be better.  I had a lot of time to think about what I'd say this Sunday morning. I feel both my wife and I accomplished a lot in two months.  Our biggest decision is what to do with the house there.  We shared the house wi...

 I wasn't sure what to title this one.  This being our last full day here in NY, I didn't have anything for this morning until I watched a sci-fi movie on YouTube last night before going to bed.  It was "Planet of Prehistoric Women."  The women take up the last fifteen minutes of the movie.  Otherwise Venus, according to 1956 standard,  had waterfalls, oceans, bizarre creatures that look like humans in costumes, man-eating plants, and trees.   Okay, it was filmed in California.  But what we know today about Venus, they didn't know in 1956.  It wasn't until 1960 the first probes were sent to Venus.  We have since learned a lot about Venus.  But the name for the title was probably chosen because Venus represents women. Venus was the goddess of love, beauty, and fertility in Roman mythology.  The planet Venus is the brightest planet in the night sky.  It's clouds reflect its sunlight like a mirror.  It is considered...

 My wife thought yesterday's post about my Dunhill pipe was a clever story.  I told her the previous owner is probably from California and works in the tech industry.  He decided to give up pipe smoking and is still alive.  But that's the way it is with an estate pipe.  One just doesn't know.  One can go into most any pipe shop today and there will be a bowl full of estate pipes each selling for about $15.  One just never knows.  I bought my Gettysburg pipe in an old antique shop and they had this pipe for $30. So, I made up my own story about it as I did my Dunhill yesterday.  One just doesn't know.  But my wife thought my story was clever.  But that's the way it is with an old estate pipe.  My Dunhill might increase in value if I take good care of it, which I have.  But a $15 estate pipe could last another lifetime.  That's the way it is with pipes.  I had a professor friend give me a Ben Wade pipe that I no lo...

 I have only two estate pipes.  I broke the stem of my Gettysburg pipe and might get it fixed, but my other is my Dunhill pipe.  I was smoking it yesterday and began wondering why it was for sale as an estate pipe.  They had reconditioned it to flawless condition and my mind began to wonder about it as I smoked it.  The pipe would have cost about $1200 if it were new and wondered what kind of person would own that pipe. I wondered whether I could see the person who owned that pipe with my imagination and began to wonder about the previous owner.  I can see spending $1200 for some things and precious metals and gems appreciate in value.  But the previous owner's estate lost a grand on that pipe.  The estate probably was given a hundred for it.  So, as I made up a story about my "haunted" Gettysburg pipe, I wondered if the previous owner was deceased.   Now that my Gettysburg pipe is idle, could I make up some story about my Dunhill a...