Alan C. Baird's Blog: The Snoozeletter @ snzltr.blogspot.com, page 10

Natalie Buzzell Vogler (September 18, 1932 - January 5, 2023; Age 90).

 

My beloved Godmother passed away last week. She was a pistol. I actually taught her how to smoke dope! And she beat my personal best in the marathon, by SEVENTEEN MINUTES!! At the age of FORTY-SEVEN!!! Rest in peace, Aunt Nat...

https://www.rsthvn.com/obituaries/natalie-vogler

Let's start 2023 off right!

 

When I got up at 5am, my wife said something in Hungarian, then added, in English, "Don't empty the pail." Since we have no pails, I knew she was not really awake, so I replied "Okay" and she went right back to sleep. On my way out of the bedroom, I chuckled to myself, realizing how lucky I was to have a wife who's naturally funny, even when she's unconscious.

Mark Steven Traub (3 Jul 1958 - 6 Dec 2022; Age 64).

 

One of my buddies from the NBC Page staff passed away yesterday. Mark was a bright soul - warm, funny, generous and kind. Everybody loved him, and his work family at the Today show gave him a touching sendoff this morning:

https://www.today.com/health/today-remembers-mark-traub-rcna60511

He was one of the two faces I first saw when I returned from a Belushi-induced blackout: https://themorningnews.org/article/page-daze

Mark in 1980:

Here's my new SMART�� Health Card.

 

Fully vaxed and waxed. Up to date. Omicron safe. Six friggin' doses.

You can verify it (if you're looking at this on a desktop or laptop), by pointing your phonecam at the QR code...

Here's my new SMART® Health Card.

 

Fully vaxed and waxed. Up to date. Omicron safe. Six friggin' doses.

You can verify it (if you're looking at this on a desktop or laptop), by pointing your phonecam at the QR code...

Cataract Surgery: After The Second Slice.

 

My folks discovered that I needed glasses while I was in grade school, and I've used them ever since. The kids called me "Four Eyes," but I just wanted to have what they had: normal vision. The glasses made me self-conscious, so I wore them as little as possible, and usually removed them for pictures. That's why it took some real digging to find this 1987 passport photo w/spex.

Long story short: after these two recent cataract surgeries, I have never had vision this good, IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. SINCE BIRTH. SINCE *BEFORE* BIRTH. No more glasses. No more cheaters. No more stumbling around in a vain, half-blind fog. No more "Four Eyes." It's a f*cking miracle.

Cataract² Day.

 

Both of my eyes are now fully bionic, after this plastic trifocal lens (top card) was implanted earlier today.

I told the doc I was only going through the surgery so I could post both implant cards on Facebook. He laughed. I never saw his face (strict masking protocols), so I had to look up his resume on the internet, in order to be able to identify him during the inevitable police lineup. 😉

Cataract Surgery: A Rite Of Passage.

 

Researchers say about half of Americans will have cataracts by the age of 75.

My eye doctor said I was starting to develop cataracts about 15 years ago, at age 56.

My vision has been going downhill for the last couple of years, so I decided to get the ol' eyes fixed.

The first surgery took place on August 25th.

Spectacular results: the vision in my right eye has literally NEVER been this good.

20/20 distance, 20/30 reading and still improving.

The second surgery is scheduled for September 19th. Can't f*cking wait. ;-)

The Heat Wave In Europe Hits Home.

 

An old buddy, strong as a f*cking bull, was doing some heavy work outside (95°F, 35°C) three weeks ago and fainted from heat stroke. Heart attack. Concussion. Heli-lifted to the hospital. Four days in the ICU, including time hooked up to a respirator. Now he's back home, on eight different medications.

I told him that we get a daily dose of "hydrate, stay inside, no hard work" messaging, here in the desert Southwest. But his normally-temperate Scandinavian country is new to this killer weather.

This guy is like a brother to me. We spent an intense year on the Côte d'Azur, struggling unsuccessfully to get a t-shirt business up and running. We nearly drove each other crazy, but out of the chaos was forged a lifelong friendship. 45 years, so far. I hope we can make it to 46...

Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol.

 

These J6 hearings are like flipping over big rocks, and waiting to see what kind of creepy, slimy bugs crawl out from underneath.