25,000 Days

Symbol of New Mexico

 Today, I am 25,000 days old, which I calculated a long time ago and remembered because it happened to coincide with the last day of 2025. On average, people live about 30,000 days, so yeah, I am getting up there. However, another 5,000 days would be over 13 years, so I do not need my last rites quite yet, and of course your mileage my vary. 35,000 days is possible (that will put you into your mid-nineties.) Do not hope for 40,000.

Dad lived 25,026 days, so I will catch him by the end of January. Mom lived about six and a half years longer. If you try to use the Internet to calculate your expected lifespan, how long your parents lived is a big factor in how long you are expected to live. I do not believe that my siblings and I are necessarily doomed to short lifespans though, because arguably both of my parents had issues that were preventable, although Mom's situation was more complex than Dad's. Certainly, I am in better shape that Mom was at this age, so there is reason for optimism.

2025 was a terrible year for the United States, the worst of my lifetime I would say, but all of the politics did not have a huge impact on Jackie and me. The year was dominated by The Move, which started maybe in February and continues still, as we purchased a few things for the house this week, and we are still hanging pictures, which are the last thing we have to unpack.

Jackie bought me two New Mexico books for Christmas - one about hikes near Albuquerque, the other a travel book for the whole state. We have a lot of exploring to do. Also, we are also already planning a trip to Oklahoma, which is only one day from here, and a cruise through the Panama Canal if we can find one cheap enough.

The other day, we had a gray day with rain off and on all day. We joked about it being just like Washington, but it was just one day. A couple of days later, my bridge partner told me that kind of day never happens here, that it was so unusual to have clouds and rain all day. Wow, in Washington, that's the kind of day you expect most of the year, and it can happen ten days in a row easily.

It really is different here.

Last, a quick word about bridge, because we are at the end of the year. Last year, I scored 182 master points and made it into the Bridge Bulletin that goes out to all ACBL members each month, because 182 points was fourth in the country for my grouping. This year, I got almost 198 points, which may put me about 35th or so, because the competition gets tougher as you move up, but still not a bad year. Next year, Life Master. I start tomorrow.

More About New Mexico

I call this one Giant Santa, because...

Let's start with walking. Given my new, more modest walking goal, this month is going reasonably well, at least on average. This is because I started the month really well, walking over 11,000 steps each day for the first five days as I walked a half hour each way to get to and from BART from my hotel while I played in the national bridge tournament in San Francisco. However, that was followed by a lot of driving days to Washington and then back to New Mexico, and I barely walk at all on driving days. In any case, I will put in more steps this month than in any month since July, and Arlo and I have settled into a good pattern when I am home.

One evening in San Francisco, we walked from Market Street to a restaurant in North Beach, a 20-minute walk over a moderate hill. One of my bridge partners is very fit and walked fast, while another really could not walk that quickly. We ended up walking in two groups of two, and I stayed with the fittest person. I did not have any problem going up the hill or keeping up with her, so all my walking the last few years seems to have made a difference.

I have covered over 3,000 miles now, and I am more than halfway across Colorado, with still over 1,800 miles to go to the West Coast. At my current pace, I will reach Utah by the end of April, then get through Utah to Nevada by the end of the year. Right now, I am close to Leadville, Colorado, the highest incorporated city in the US at 10,152 feet.

Today it rained, and it was overcast all day, not so different from Washington. However, that was the first rain we have seen since we got back on the 13th. The plants in our yard do not need a lot of water, so one rain means that I can skip watering them for a week. The weather report says tomorrow starts another week of sunny days.

The balloons continue through the shortest days of the year. There were lots this week, more than ten some days. Jackie theorized that some people want a ballon ride as part of their Christmas holidays.

I keep waiting for the day a balloon lands in the lot behind our house. This one came close, landing briefly at the Savings and Loan on the other side of the lot, about 1/10th of a mile away, before taking off again. Arlo and I walk past that spot a few times a week.

I decided that the Roadrunner should be the state bird of New Mexico, and it turns out someone thought the same thing back in 1949, so it is the state bird. They are comfortable hanging around the neighborhood and are not very afraid of people. The Internet says they eat carrion and little animals like mice and snakes. They can run 20 miles per hour. Contrary to the cartoon, coyotes can actually run much faster, but don't worry. Roadrunners can fly when they want to, and coyotes, just like in the cartoons, cannot.

There are not many Christmas lights in the neighborhood, but inflatable decorations are all over the place. I have no idea why this is, but it is really different from Washington, where lights are more common.

This neighbor apparently went to the Christmas inflatable store and bought one of each item.

Home

 

Wild clouds over Mount Shasta

When we left Washington on October 2, headed for New Mexico, we already had plans to go back. Jackie had to return for a couple of medical appointments related to a kidney stone, and I wanted to go to 
San Francisco to play in a national bridge tournament, so even selling our house and moving our stuff did not feel quite complete. Now, we are back from our three-week trip to Washington, San Francisco, and Washington, and now... we have plans to go back again, but not for a few months, and this time just to visit. We live in New Mexico now.

It is cold here during the winter, down into the 20s at night sometimes, but as high as 60 in the afternoon. It has not rained since we got back, sunny nearly every day. We have only seen a few balloons - maybe it's too cold, maybe too windy. But when we were in Washington, it was gray most of the time, and it rained most of the time, and it was starting to flood in several counties. The Wednesday game at my bridge club in Olympia was cancelled this week due to flooding and a power outage. It's different here in New Mexico. We like it.

The trip was a great success. Jackie's kidney stone is gone, and Russ and I scored the most points we have ever gotten in a tournament. Also played a couple of games at the Olympia club and saw my old group. All the driving went smoothly, as we put in maybe 3,500 miles just on Interstate 5 and another 1,500 on Interstate 40. No more big trips until...well, at least March or April.

My bridge partners, Alice on the left, Russ, and Kathi. I played with each of them.

Christmas Tree near our hotel in San Bruno. Jackie went to the tree lighting. The mayor made a little speech, lots of folks showed up.

The view from near Mom and Dad's grave. Would be more impressive without the fog - you can see Mount Diablo, as I recall.

Buildings on the hills in the desert. Not sure what those are about.

We stayed at a cool, edgy, and chic Best Western. Not our usual style. And yes, gas was $3.099 next door, and actually under $3 at most stations in Arizona and New Mexico.

Stan, a guy I used to play bridge with, who died a few months ago, had a large collection of cookie jars. His sisters are trying to distribute them among his fellow bridge players, and I took this one. I figure the cactus fits with our new home.