The other half has Parkinson's and congestive heart failure. Word today from the gaggle of doctors is that the PD is reasonably well under control, but that the heart situation has been upgraded (or downgraded, depending on your viewpoint) from mild to moderate, due to fluid in his lungs.

On the one hand, I feel vindicated in that I have been nagging him for years "Sir, step away from the computer, take your hand from the mouse and walk around the house," or even better, up the sidewalk to the corner and back. He does not. He spends hours (4, 5, 6 at a stretch) immobile, leaning to the right (remember the previous Pope), plugged into a virtual life. I hope this is a wakeup call for him.

I'm going to give up my precious evening reading time to go for a walk with him. Our evening constitutional will do us both good, though I get far more exercise than he during the day at work and at home doing housework. Up and down stairs, mostly. I do not want to look myself in the mirror and say that I did not do what I could for him. And right now I can set up and administer his meds for one, and take him for a walk, for another.

I've explained to him how body activity helps the lungs clear themselves of fluid and how inactivity enables the fluid to settle, but I have to do more. So we're off each evening for our after dinner constitutional. How quaint.