My First Day on Medicare

Today was my first day on Medicare- oh, excuse me a minute while I adjust my Lazyboy- there, that’s better… All in all, it’s been a rather uneventful day after I drove my Saab all the way to the garage dragging a rear wheel because the hand brake had frozen after a week of no use, and after enduring a 75-degree temperature change. We had a warm rain followed by the Montreal Express and the temp dropped from +55 to –20.

The old Saab is ten years old, but in buggy years that’s at least 70, maybe more. I never would’ve made it without blowing out the tire except the road was snow covered. That left rear tire slid 10 miles. The guy at the garage in Franconia couldn’t believe it when he saw me dragging my hind wheel into the parking lot.

The car did have a tendency to pull a little to one side, but only when I hit dry patches. Unfortunately, that was one of my good tires, but I sprang for a whole new set of Blizzaks in addition to getting the rear brakes fixed and a few other nuisance malfunctions.

The one thing that may force me to finally say goodbye to the old Saab is my now defunct seat heater. I loved that seat heater. It would get hot enough to fry eggs and after a long day of skiing nothing felt better on the ride home. I’m thinking of transferring the seat heater from the passenger side, but it could be a summer job.

Funny thing about old cars, they seem to work ok as long as you drive them everyday, but as soon as you let them remain idle they don’t work so well.

If we keep our selves active like old cars we can run a long time too. I saw Joe Nelson (my skiing idol) on the Cannon tram today. He was proudly wearing his 90+ patch on his parka. I think he’s 92, but he skis like a sixty year old. Skiing is free after 65, so that means he’s been skiing free for over 27 years. He’s one of those guys that if you asked if he skied all his life he’d say, “Not yet”.

Tomorrow is Groundhog Day, but it doesn’t matter in New Hampshire because we always get 8 more weeks of winter regardless of what Punxsutawney Phil does. I’ll just keep skiing and enjoy the warm satisfaction of finally getting single payer health care.

Now where’s that recliner lever, oh that’s better. Good night.