And Then Life Bites You in the Ass.

So yesterday's post seemed a bit trivial when I got wored that a former coworker of mine has been diagnosed with cancer. You go in for surgery to help your bowel become unobstructed, and the next you know, you have cancer instead. What a doozy of a surprise.

Feeling completely helpless, I have been able to mobilize a friend into being my legs in KC. I've found a DVD of KU basketball online that I'm going to order (because she is a huge KU fan and I suspect already has this DVD), and my friend is going to drop off a portable DVD player, as the rooms are not equipped with these. She's groggy and heavily medicated right now, but hopefully by the time the DVD arrives, she will be awake and able to somewhat watch it if she chooses.

And then after that, nobody seems to know. Seems trivial, getting her a DVD when she's facing a battle for her life, but I don't know what else to do. As my friend Cara says, if you're a praying fool, then do it, and if not, root for the Jayhawks.

Balance

Do this:

Get a watch that counts seconds.

Make sure you have flat, close-toed shoes on, and stand up straight. Start the watch.

Cross your arms over your chest and close your eyes.

Lift one leg, bending it at 45 degrees behind you.

Try and stay balanced for as long as possible. When you teeter more than 45 degrees, uncross your arms, or put a foot down, stop the watch. Compare your results with those below:

20 to 49 years old: 24 to 28 seconds.

50 to 59 years: 21 seconds.

60 to 69 years: 10 seconds.

70 to 79 years: 4 seconds.

80 and older: most cannot do it at all.

You just tested your ability to maintain balance. I read this article in the NYT and tried it myself, and I was very disappointed by the results. My aunts have complained of vertigo, but I never thought I had a problem with it. But I notice every so often that when I close my eyes, my head swims. Maybe it's due to my nose problem and I'm retaining fluid in my ears. Who knows? Maybe I'm just aging quickly. But do the test and tell me your poor results - you can keep the good results to yourself - so I feel better.