Alzheimer's and Retirement?

You know what 'they' say about holding back the dreaded Alzheimer's?  


'They' say that getting plenty of exercise helps ..... both mental and physical.


So ............


Learning to Play Bridge:  Bridge is the king of card games.  I have always wanted to learn to play.  Just never had the time or opportunity before.  So ....... at age ______ (fill in blank), I am taking it up.  It is much more complicated than __________ (fill in blank again with just about any card game).  Anyway, it is great mental exercise.  It is fairly complicated and I count myself lucky if I can grasp one new concept each time I play.  


I have heard/read:
- That it takes a year to learn how to play and 5 years to get any good.
- That it takes 10 years of playing 20 hours/week to get good.
- That I don't stand a chance.  (This kinda hurt and I don't think the Brennie should have said it.)


My mom was a very serious bridge player.  I think that she and her friends played for 1/4 or 1/2 penny a point.  She played right up until she passed away in her mid 80's.  She was sharp as a tack.  We also found a bag of (bridge) money in her condo.  It had 100's of dollars in it!  It was either her bridge money or she was hoarding pennies, nickels, dimes .......... 1's and 5's.  She wasn't the hoarding type


Learning to Speak Spanish:  Holy Mother of God!  You want to see if anything is working upstairs?  Try learning a new language at my age.  I have always had trouble with languages.  They do NOT come naturally to me.  


I flunked German 2 years running in high school.  Well, I didn't actually study much.  But I didn't think that I really should have to.  German was (mostly) the first language I spoke.  And I spoke more German than English until I was three and a half.  I (wrongly) figured that just being exposed to it every day in class ....... and it would float back to the conscious surface.  I was determined in this passive approach.  I am using a different approach with Spanish and it is working (a little ..... but not much) better.


Physical Exercise:  Cuenca is a walking city.  That is one of the reasons we moved here.  I love to walk and ride my bicycle around town.  My preferred modes of transport are (in order of preference): walk if there is time, bicycle (going by myself and am in a semi-hurry), bus and motorcycle (a tie for 3rd and 4th depending on circumstances), and last is taking the car.  So I think that I am covered on the exercise thing.


Uh ......... I forgot what I was going to say next.  Gotta question if this mental and physical exercise BS is working all that well!  OR.  Maybe it is just too late.


LIfe is Sweet,
Clarke


PS:  Who is the 'they' that are always saying what is what?  I think that 'they' are just a convenient construct when someone wants to back up their own 'opinion' with some type of bogus authority figure or expert status.  It is my opinion that 'they' say that for a harmonious and happy house, at least one cigar should be smoked inside each and every day.  That's what 'they' say!  (That is the demi-rant for the day.)


OMG!  The Brennie just walked in.  She is eating a raw turnip.  We have plenty of chocolate bars in the cupboard.  What is wrong with her?