“Five More Great Ways to Live Longer”

The AARP Bulletin that I get once a month has an article this time entitled “50 Great Ways to Live Longer.”  I pulled it out and have read it a couple of times.  Karl and I have talked about it.  Patting ourselves on the back, we note with pride that we are doing many things ‘right’ according to the article.  We’ve talked about trying to add a few that we don’t normally do into our daily routine – though I’m not yet willing to get rid of my throw rugs (really? that many older people die of throw rug danger?) and I’m not sure regular fire drills are in our future – logic tells me that in a fire, I will know to run away!  But, it was an interesting article anyway.

That article got me thinking.  We’ve been on island for a few days more than four months.  We’ve been busy.  We’ve been active.  We’ve been learning a new culture.  Based on our current situation, I’ve decided to add “Five More Great Ways to Live Longer”.  Number 1: Try to keep your husband off of 35 foot tall ladders.  Okay – I did finally succeed at that one (when he finished pressure washing the roof, and not a minute before – though he did use a fall harness.)  I have no doubt that he’ll be back up there again soon, though.  Number 2: Don’t go snorkeling when there’s a rip current.  Scary.  It’s like the sea is trying to suck you out.  Been there, don’t think I want to revisit that.  Number 3: Always wear pants when you go into the ‘bush’.  We live at the edge of the rain forest, and in order not to be overrun by it, weed whackers and hedge trimmers are our friends.  Nettles and flying debris while using those tools are not, though. Karl’s legs still sport a mosaic of little cuts and bruises from one time out there wearing shorts.  Number 4: Be sure you have the right weapons for the right jobs. Arrows don’t actually kill iguanas. Iguanas are really amazing and interesting creatures, but they dig holes and are destructive so we are waging a mini war against them.  The pellets from an air rifle just annoy them.  They feel the sting and then turn around and stare at you with derision.  The look in their eyes say, “Really Chump, that’s all you got?” So we ramped it up a little and bought a pistol crossbow.  Not that either of us is a terrific shot.  The last time I saw the last arrow I shot, it was embedded in the ‘wattle’ of a medium sized iguana.  Once again, he stopped and looked at me.  Then he shook his head, making the new bright yellow and black accoutrement to his ensemble shake and wobble, then he sauntered off into the undergrowth to show his friends.  Number 5:  Eat ice cream every day.  We do.  Armstrong’s ice cream is hand made perfection in a cup or cone.  My favorite is either gooseberry or coconut.  Karl likes pina colada and peanut.  Once in a while I indulge in a ‘black stallion’ – a mixed flavor shake with lots of rum!  MMMMmmm.  It might not actually make us live longer, but it sweetens the time we still have!