Saturday 31st January 2015…..Day 3!!

I was up at 7am this morning and the sun was shining and I went straight away for a walk on the beach…amazed quite a few people out already this weekend is a holiday weekend in Mexico and this area tends to get bus loads of locals come in from the surrounding area.

Saw this beauty on the way to the beach…

Not the prettiest of birds!!!

See how busy the beach is already..

I then met Gail, Larry and Vern at a local restaurant for breakfast and afterwards I came home and got ready for tennis!!

Doug has a friend Dale who is down for the winter and an avid tennis player and there are three courts close by so I went to the courts and met Dale and we had a good game it was different for me to first play at noon and in the humid heat and also to be on hard courts and not the clay of SMA

Check this out the Mike Tyson stare down and the George Clooney three day growth….

 

…..I enjoyed the game and of course modesty forbids me from telling you who was the winner…

I came home and had lunch and lots of juice and then went to the beach for a couple of hours and had my first swim and of course maybe a siesta….

Home and showered and went to get Gail and Larry and we went to a very lovely beach front restaurant for a wonderful dinner…

The food was great and so was the company!!!

I was home by 10 o clock and it is now almost midnight and I am staying up till 1am to watch the final of the men’s tennis from down under so I reckon I shall be in bed by 4……….good job I am retired and life is a beach!!!

Yashi Kochi!!!

Friday 30th January 2015…Day 2!!!!!

I was tired last night but had a great sleep and felt refreshed this morning Gail had baked fresh cinnamon rolls and left them for Arleen, Doug and I and they were a wonderful morning treat…..

I then set off to walk the beach and the weather was lovely and sunny enjoy…… the morning shots!!!!

I walked to Gail and Larry’s casita and we talked and had lunch and then I decided to walk back and that is when the clouds opened and it just poured rain….in this shot one minute you could see the island

and the next instant where did it go!!!

I got home and just walked straight into the shower…

It did sort of clear up late afternoon and these were the shots as I went back into town to G & L’s casita…

Gail cooked another Les type wonderful meal!!!!

Larry and I walked the town a little after dinner before we boys tackled the diner dishes…it was great evening!!

I am now back at Arlene and Doug's and all is well even the rain did not dampen my spirits!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yashi Kochi!!!

Thursday 29th January 2015…Day 1!!!!

What a mixed up night I had but only myself to blame…I watched tennis till about 11.30 last night and then went to bed but there was a game I really wanted to watch that started at 2.30am so I said to myself if I wake up then I shall watch it and if not well………

I woke up at 4am and got up and watched the end of a great men’s singles match till 6am and then went back to bed and slept till 8am..I was all packed and ready the night before so I was on the road by 8.30am…

There is a huge pilgrimage at this time of the year to the town of San Largos and I was close by and saw hundreds of walkers and of course brought back memories of my “little” trek in the summer in Spain!!!!

It took me just under 4 hours to get to the big city

of Guadalajara but easy to get through you just drive straight no turns and was through and then in to tequila country!!!

The plant itself!!!

Quite a few toll booths to go through…

and then quiet easy roads…

My destination!!!!

It was exactly 600km and 7 hours and no worries!!!!

I drove to my friends casita and had a great reunion……I have know Gail and Larry for over 35 years and even though they live in the province of British Columbia it seems I see more of them in Mexico than at their home.

After a little while I needed to get my feet wet and took my first beach walk…it had clouded over and this particular bay does not get sunsets because of the mountains but don’t worry other beaches will have them!!!!

Arlene and Doug are good friends with Gail and Larry and I have met them also in years gone by and they have been so kind as to extend their hospitality with a bedroom in their rental house…so we drove over late afternoon…….

My room…

The gang

Arlene cooked a wonderful roast pork dinner and Gail made one of her famous apple pies…

Am I not lucky to have such wonderful friends!!!

We had a lovely meal and then the stories began……because of my night time escapades and the one hour time difference by 9.30 I was done….so I politely said my goodnights and ready for bed…..

This is the route today!!!!

Yashi Kochi!!!

Wednesday 28th January 2015…..a birthday and a beach awaits!!!

 

That be my Bro in the background!!!!

 

My wonderful and special sister in law is turning…whatever age…..today and I want to wish her a great birthday….she and Malc are holidaying on a cruise ship in the Caribbean for two weeks but I did call her on Saturday….she is a remarkable woman and one I admire and love!!!!!

So tomorrow I head out on my journey to the beach so most the morning getting things ready another beautiful sunny day and I went for my Spanish lesson and this time it almost felt good….I have lots of homework to do.

I went straight from there to poker and yet again in the win column 130 pesos!!!!

Came home and got cleaned up and went to my English class..this was just a great class their homework assignment was to write a paragraph about anything to do with computers and Javier brought in the following

Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant; they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be critical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy.

© Max Ehrmann 1927

This was a very touching moment because this is my mantra for life and I could tell the students were moved so I had them close their eyes and just listen as I read it very slowly to them…..I then asked Fernando to go and get 14 copies of it from the office so each one of them could have a copy and asked them to read it to their loved ones!!!!

We then played charades for chocolates!!!!!

Now home and you guessed it watching tennis..do not know how late I can stay up tonight.

I have an 8 hour drive tomorrow and hope to have internet where I am staying………..for the next few days you may refer to me as the beachkid!!!

Yashi kochi!!!

Tuesday 27th January 2015…….I could get used to these easy days!!!!

This staying up late into the night watching tennis is taking it’s toll on me luckily I did not have tennis this morning so I was able to stay around, do my homework, some laundry and get some things sorted before my road trip……It was just a warm sunny and lovely morning feel sad for those folks in the New York area.

I had tennis at 1 o clock and it was two hours of fun and very hot indeed and afterwards I went to Rita’s for are usual card game…..Roger was there too and we had a fun afternoon with Roger taking the crown today!!!!

So tonight it is going to be a late night again watching tennis but the Canadian Roanic is not on till 2.30am and no way I am staying awake for that one……

 

 

At what point will we all live to be 100?

With our lifespan growing about 3 months every year, it's as if we've discovered the Fountain of Youth.

 

The current lifespan in the U.S. is about 79 years, but our longevity keeps increasing.

The Bible says God allotted 120 years to the life of man, yet few humans live that long. Seeing your 13th decade is far from impossible, though. Humans apparently are fully capable of reaching their Biblical limit — and then some.

Leandra Becerra Lumbreras of Mexico is 127 years old, or so she says. She lost her birth certificate 40 years ago. Sticking to confirmed cases, there's Jeanne Calment, who died in 1997 at the age of 122.  

If science has its way, making it to 120 may soon be less of a rarity. More importantly, living past 100 may become the norm. Humanity already gains about three months of life with each passing year. That means people born in 2014 should live, on average, a year longer than those born in 2010.

According to a newly released report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the current average lifespan in the United States is 78.8 years. (The data is for people born in 2012, the latest year researched by the CDC.) For people born in 1901, life expectancy was a measly 47.6 years for men and 50.6 for women. That’s a massive jump in just over a century. But it’s still only about three months more per year.  

As it turns out, the “three months per year” increase is steady, even without major breakthroughs. Using that rate, we can extrapolate when living to 100 will become the norm. The average American born in 2100 will likely live that long. In other words, we can be relatively confident that our great-grandkids will belong to a generation of centenarians. 

But what if there are major breakthroughs before then? What does that mean for current generations?

For current generations to reliably reach 100, we’d need to solve a single, rather odd problem: How do we get the body to keep up its natural ability to repair itself?

The body is an amazing thing, in no small part because unlike machinery, it doesn’t wear out. Not only is it constantly repairing itself, it’s also constantly renewing itself. Your body is basically brand new every seven to 10 years, according to The New York Times. Almost none of the cells that compose your organs are older than that. In fact, that’s just as true when you’re 80 as when you’re 10, according to stem biologist Jonas Frisen, who’s quoted in the Times article.

In that case, why do we age? It turns out that aging has more to do with a cell’s DNA than with the cell itself. As we get older, our cells — even our new cells — become “senescent,” and our body starts sending out “repair signals” all the time, even though no repair is needed. This leads to persistent inflammation, which is the root cause of all kinds of problems, especially the chronic problems that lead to death.

Progress is being made in the fight to overcome senescence. A drug called Rapamycin seems to help keep senescent cells from sending false repair signals. And there are at least 100 other compounds that are known to extend the lives of invertebrates. The problem is that researchers don’t know if these effects, which apply to animals like mice, will also apply to humans.

The key to longevity

For most of us, the science may not catch up in time, so we’re left wondering why some men and women live such inordinately long lives. What did Calment (left) and Leandra Lumbreras do right that most people don’t?

These are notoriously difficult questions to answer. The fact is, lifestyle studies of centenarians are rather puzzling. No single characteristic seems to explain their longevity. They aren’t all vegetarians, for instance — in fact, few are. They haven’t all avoided smoking or red meat. They seem to drink a bit less than your average person, but otherwise, they behave like the rest of us.

We do know that one reason life expectancy keeps growing is that death rates from serious illnesses — such as cancer, stroke, chronic lower respiratory diseases and heart disease — keep dropping.

So although there’s no Fountain of Youth, it looks like we can eat right, exercise, stop smoking, see our doctors — all the stuff that will help us stay healthy — until science and longevity gives us a few more years.

 

Yashi Kochi!!!!

Monday 26th January 2015…an easy day!!!

I really had a quiet day just resting up from the big hike yesterday and I went to my Spanish lesson this morning I felt a little better this morning and again Marysol is so good with me and I have lots of homework…Just did chores the rest of the day laundry, class preparation and starting to put some things aside for my mini road trip I leave Thursday morning and I come back Tuesday evening..more on that another day.

My English class tonight was excellent for homework assignment they had to bring something to class and talk about it….the things they think of very imaginative and interesting it was a great class with all my students doing all the talking!!!

Just watching the young Canadian  lady Genie play in the quarter finals of the women's singles down under but she is in for a hard fought game……

 

 

  This man used to be a hero of mine!!!!

Lance Armstrong: I'd change the man, not decision to cheat

By Dan Roan and Matt Slater BBC Sport

This story contains language you may find offensive.

Shamed cyclist Lance Armstrong believes the time is coming when he should be forgiven for doping and lying - and told the BBC he would probably do it again.

Armstrong, 43, was stripped of his record seven Tour de France titles and banned from sport for life by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) in August 2012.

"If I was racing in 2015, no, I wouldn't do it again because I don't think you have to," he said.

"If you take me back to 1995, when doping was completely pervasive, I would probably do it again."

Speaking in his first television interview since confessing to Oprah Winfrey that he had used performance-enhancing drugs during his career, Armstrong tells BBC sports editor Dan Roan:

• The "fallout" since his confession has been "heavy" and he now lives his life at 10mph, not 100.
• His decision to dope was "bad", but taken at "an imperfect time".
• He still feels like he won the seven Tour titles he was stripped of.
• He raced clean during his second comeback in 2009 and 2010.

 

Armstrong had been the subject of doping allegations since he returned from cancer in 1996 to dominate one of the world's toughest events from 1999 to 2005.

He aggressively denied the claims until Usada's 200-page "reasoned decision" - complete with 1,000 additional pages of evidence - was released in October 2012.

Armstrong finally confessed in a two-part interview with US talk-show host Winfrey in January, 2013.

He was forced to step away from the cancer charity he had founded and has since kept his counsel, save for a handful of print interviews.

Speaking in his hometown of Austin, Texas, Armstrong said "the fallout" from his confession had been "heavy, tough, trying and required patience".

The father-of-five said his life had "thinned out" and "slowed from 100mph to 10", but added he would like to return to "50, 55".

Lance Armstrong - the titles

Tour de France titles (later stripped): 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005

World Championships road race: 1993

As for whether the world was ready to accept his return to public life, Armstrong said: "Selfishly, I would say 'yeah, we're getting close to that time'.

"But that's me, my word doesn't matter any more. What matters is what people collectively think, whether that's the cycling community, the cancer community.

"Listen, of course I want to be out of timeout, what kid doesn't?"

Armstrong was asked if he would make the same choice to cheat that he made in 1995.

He said: "When I made the decision, when my team made that decision, when the whole peloton made that decision, it was a bad decision and an imperfect time.

"But it happened. And I know what happened because of that. I know what happened to the sport, I saw its growth."

Armstrong said sales at his bicycle supplier Trek Bicycles went from $100m (£66.5m) to $1bn and his charity foundation went from "raising no money to raising $500m, serving three million people".

He added: "Do we want to take it away? I don't think anybody says 'yes'."

Armstrong finished a record seven Tour de Frances wearing the yellow jersey

Armstrong did admit to "unacceptable and inexcusable" behaviour towards other people during his career.

Former rider Filippo Simeoni angered Armstrong by testifying against his coach/doctor, Michele Ferrari, in a 2002 Italian doping case. The American called him a liar and denied the Italian a stage win in the 2004 Tour.

Armstrong also responded with legal threats and personal smears when Emma O'Reilly, a masseuse at his US Postal team, provided some of the earliest details on his doping.

"I would want to change the man that did those things, maybe not the decision, but the way he acted," he continued.

"The way he treated people, the way he couldn't stop fighting. It was unacceptable, inexcusable."

He added he had been "an arsehole to a dozen people" and had spent the past two years trying to make amends, with varying results.

Armstrong was equally forthright on what should happen to his Tour titles, which have not been reallocated, such was the extent of cycling's doping problem at the time.

"I think there has to be a winner, I'm just saying that as a fan," he said.

"There's a huge block in World War One with no winners, and there's another block in World War Two, and then it seems like there's another world war.

Armstrong was third in the 2009 Tour de France, and 23rd 12 months later

"I don't think history is stupid, history rectifies a lot of things. If you ask me what happens in 50 years, I don't think it sits empty... I feel like I won those Tours."

Armstrong reiterated his promise that he raced clean during his second comeback in 2009 and 2010, contrary to Usada's report, and said he would be the first to release his samples for retesting as soon as a test for blood transfusions is developed.

He also confirmed he has spoken to the Cycling Independent Reform Commission (CIRC) on two occasions and is now waiting to see if it will recommend a reduction in his ban, something that would allow him to "compete in some sport at a fairly high level", but also raise money for charity.

Armstrong was less forthcoming on his legal battle with former team-mate Floyd Landis and the Department of Justice. That case, which hinges on whether his team's sponsor, the US Postal Service, was defrauded of almost $40m (£26.5m), is unlikely to be heard in court until 2016.

But he admitted the strain of his legal problems was telling, and he looked forward to a time without lawyers and worries about what his children might hear at school.

Yashi Kochi!!!

Sunday 25th January 2015….a big hike!!!!!

• Another unsunny morning and I was at the gas station where we meet for the Sunday hike and again Kathy and Lloyd and Pierre   and myself set off back in to the hills just outside of town….this is the church in the small village

• 

• And the X marks the sot we are heading for!!!!

• 

• We knew it was going to be a long hike so we were glad it was not too sunny…some of the views on the way up …

• 

• You will see this body of what water again in the following shots…

• Also met this young man and even though he was “armed” he was friendly!!

• 

• We saw him a little later!!

• 

• Some wonderful views…

• 

• 

• 

• 

See that body of water again but from on high!!!

This is the summit 9200 feet and the top  of the old crater…

We had lunch here and rested a while before heading back

Cathy and Lloyd!!!

That pond  again in the middle of the shot!!

We arrived back at the gas station at nearly 4 o clock and we reckon we hiked close to 15 miles…it was wonderful!!!!!

You can imagine I was pretty quiet tonight and now I have to stay up till gone midnight to watch the Canadian  Raonic in the tennis from down under!!!

A good article for you all here…

• You may have seen this previously but it’s worth reviewing…
  HEART ATTACKS AND WATER !
  How many folks do you know who say they don't want to drink anything before going to bed because they'll have to get up during the night.
  Heart Attack and Water - I never knew all of this ! Interesting.......
  Something else I didn't know ... I asked my Doctor why people need to urinate so much at night time. Answer from my Cardiac Doctor - Gravity holds water in the lower... part of your body when you are upright (legs swell). When you lie down and the lower body (legs and etc.) seeks level with the kidneys, it is then that the kidneys remove the water because it is easier. This then ties in with the last statement!
  I knew you need your minimum water to help flush the toxins out of your body, but this was news to me. Correct time to drink water...
  Very Important. From A Cardiac Specialist!
  Drinking water at a certain time maximizes its effectiveness on the body
  2 glasses of water after waking up - helps activate internal organs
  1 glass of water 30 minutes before a meal - helps digestion
  1 glass of water before taking a bath - helps lower blood pressure
  1 glass of water before going to bed - avoids stroke or heart attack
  I can also add to this... My Physician told me that water at bed time will also help prevent night time leg cramps. Your leg muscles are seeking hydration when they cramp and wake you up with a Charlie Horse.
  Mayo Clinic Aspirin Dr. Virend Somers, is a Cardiologist from the Mayo Clinic, who is lead author of the report in the July 29, 2008 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
  Most heart attacks occur in the day, generally between 6 A.M. and noon. Having one during the night, when the heart should be most at rest, means that something unusual happened. Somers and his colleagues have been working for a decade to show that sleep apnea is to blame.
  1. If you take an aspirin or a baby aspirin once a day, take it at night.
  The reason: Aspirin has a 24-hour "half-life"; therefore, if most heart attacks happen in the wee hours of the morning, the Aspirin would be strongest in your system.
  2. FYI, Aspirin lasts a really long time in your medicine chest, for years, (when it gets old, it smells like vinegar).
  Please read on...
  Something that we can do to help ourselves - nice to know. Bayer is making crystal aspirin to dissolve instantly on the tongue.
  They work much faster than the tablets.
  Why keep Aspirin by your bedside? It's about Heart Attacks.
  There are other symptoms of a heart attack, besides the pain on the left arm. One must also be aware of an intense pain on the chin, as well as nausea and lots of sweating; however, these symptoms may also occur less frequently.
  Note: There may be NO pain in the chest during a heart attack.
  The majority of people (about 60%) who had a heart attack during their sleep did not wake up. However, if it occurs, the chest pain may wake you up from your deep sleep.
  If that happens, immediately dissolve two aspirins in your mouth and swallow them with a bit of water.
  Afterwards: - Call 911. - Phone a neighbor or a family member who lives very close by.- Say "heart attack!" - Say that you have taken 2 Aspirins.
  Take a seat on a chair or sofa near the front door, and wait for their arrival and ...
  DO NOT LIE DOWN!
  A Cardiologist has stated that if each person after receiving this e-mail, sends it to 10 people, probably one life could be saved!
  I have already shared this information. What about you?
  Do forward this message. It may save lives!
  "Life is a one time gift"

Yashi Kochi!!!!