I think the office politics are quieting down. I have to keep an eye on them. My business partner is angry and hurting from something. I'm not sure what's going on there. 

Spring has sprung in Seattle. Everything is blooming. We should have our first day or two of 70° weather in the next week. 

My husband and I had a good weekend. We had our accountant over for dinner one night, and friends over the next. Now we have many leftovers in the fridge. 

Our accountant knows which of her business are doing well and which are not. She uses this insider knowledge when she is looking for a contractor. I'm going to go to her for recommendations the next time we someone to work on our house.

There are some office politics at my day job. For reasons I don't entirely know, one of my peers has started lashing out at one of my teams to upper management. Word has got out. This makes it difficult for my team to engage as they they thought they had a positive relationship. They have been backing off as a consequence. 

I'm spending much time listening to people and creating a new and healthy plan. I have to convince my team that we will succeed even without the partner being happy. 

We are having a rainy week. Instead of longer dog walks, I've been inside catching up on errands and little house maintenance tasks. 

I taught myself how to crack a safe. Specifically our safe. Our safe has both a key and a combination. Yews argo we forget the combination. So I taught myself how to recover it. Perhaps I shouldn't be surprised, but YouTube has many videos on how to do this. 

It took a few hours and much patience, but the task isn't impossible.

I'm back in Seattle. The flight back was uneventful.

Sunday morning, my father, brother and I went to church before my brother drove me to the airport. As I was leaving, my father was teary eyed. 

 

My father's breakfast is always oatmeal, a banana and a vitamin pill. Lunch consists of a ham sandwich (no mustard or mayo) and a honey sandwich. Whole wheat bread.

Sometimes he doesn't even make the sandwich. He eats a slice of ham, then eats a slice of bread. 

For his main meal, he might have a chicken breast with boiled potatoes and maybe canned vegetables. Dessert is either a pudding cup or a slice of pie.

He eats out regularly. which adds some variety to his die. Though a hamburger and fries aren’t a major improvement.

How do you talk about healthy eating to a man in his 80s who is otherwise fine and takes care of himself? Maybe you don’t. I hope I I have his vigor when I'm his age.

I sometimes look to my uncles and aunts to try and see what the future holds for my health. My grandparents were all prolific. I have about twenty uncles and aunts to learn from.

So what is the impact of my genetic and familial predispositions? The smokers all died younger. After that it's murky. Some have died in their 70s. Some in the 80s. Others are still going strong in their 90s. Some have died from cancer. Some of heart attacks or strokes. A couple of dementia-- dementia concerns me the most. 

Looking over it all, there are no real strong correlations amongst my relatives deaths. I will die sometime in the future. Maybe of cancer, or maybe a stroke. 

Today, my father, a cousin, and I went to a farm show. It was fascinating. The technology and scale of farming equipment have grown tremendously since the 1980s when I grew up on my dad’s farm.

The 100-acre family farm is a thing of the past. The 1,000-acre business farm is the way of the future.

Massive, highly automated tractors can be yours for $500K—though you’ll need a few of them to tend your 1,000 acres, along with an understanding bank. The money required to run these farms is just as massive.

One of my high school friends is grappling with the future of his large farm. Business is good, but he’s also facing recurring cancer. Surviving cancer once is a victory; surviving five times changes your life plans. So, what does he do with his farm? His children are too young to take it over. What does his wife want? These are tough questions.

As I catch up with old friends, I realize that everyone has a parent or family member facing similar challenges. The real trick is learning to thrive and find happiness when these problems inevitably come your way.

If you’ve figured that out, please let me know how.

My Canadian friends have asked me many questions about Trump. The locals are curious. In response I've expanded on Tommy's idea. Remember "Twin Peaks" or "Lost?" Those crazy TV shows with so many twists that their plots only became more chaotic and confused over time. How do I feel about Trump? I feel like I'm watching Twin Peaks-- get some popcorn, watch the chaos unfold, then turn it off and try to get on with my life.

I told this to a cousin. She shot back.... "Hopefully it will be like Dallas and we'll wake up to discover last year was only a dream."

U.S. politics are not intimidating the locals. They are concerned. No one is expecting this to be easy. They are showing pride in Canada in a way I have not seen years. They are preparing to defend themselves-- elbows up! From what? Who knows. U.S. politics are so crazy that it's foolish to predict. Instead they are strengthening themselves and their ties with others. They are making plans to deal with the worst. They are pulling together. After all, peace, order and good governance are the Canadian way. 

I’m visiting my father and extended family for a week in the Ottawa valley. It’s snowy and sunny here. Pleasant for a March. 

 A have a cold. I've be laying low. Since I work from home, it will be a regular workday.