There is no use in trying to deal with the dying

There Is No Use in Trying to Deal with the Dying
— A reflection on aging, stiffness, and the quiet surrender to time

There comes a point in life when you stop trying to "fix" getting old. You stop pretending that turmeric, yoga, collagen powder, or whatever the latest podcast is pushing, will somehow reverse the slow grind of time. Your joints are stiff. Your back whispers threats when you bend. Your knees creak like old floorboards. And despite the advice from chirpy health influencers, you realize: there is no use in trying to deal with the dying.

That may sound bleak, but it’s really just honest. Aging isn’t a problem to be solved. It’s a process. One that creeps in quietly, like rust on metal, or a fog over the hills. First, it’s the sore shoulders when you wake. Then it’s the pills for blood pressure. Then it’s forgetting names you used to know without thinking. You try to resist it at first. You stretch. You hydrate. You tell yourself you're just “a little stiff today.”

But one day, you sit down in your favorite chair and realize: this is how it’s going to be from now on.

No miracle cure. No fountain of youth. Just the slow acceptance that your body is returning, inch by inch, to the earth it came from.

This isn’t to say you give up. You still walk. You still laugh. You still enjoy the sunrise and good soup and the warmth of a blanket. But you stop waging war against age. You stop pretending you’re a repair project with an end date. You let the cracks show. You stop saying “I’ll bounce back” and start saying “I’m moving slower now, and that’s okay.”

It’s not about hopelessness—it’s about honesty. There’s a kind of freedom that comes from admitting you're winding down. You’re no longer part of the hustle. You’ve done your time in the grind. You’ve raised kids, built careers, made your mark. Now, it’s your time to just be. Even if “being” means a heating pad, a cane, and a good nap at 2 p.m.

We’re not here forever. No one gets out alive. And no anti-aging cream is going to change that.

So take your pills, stretch if it helps, laugh when you can. But stop trying to outwit the inevitable. You’re not broken. You’re just human. Beautiful, aching, aging human.

There is no use in trying to deal with the dying. There is only living well while you can—and learning to make peace with the slow return to stillness.

Some rain at last

The catchment basin in our backyard filled up in 11 minutes. The rain was welcome, but we need more. The area has been very dry. Winky has been going wild with her planting.  To keep her plants watered we have to have a drip irrigation system. This means small lines run everywhere underground. Pound in a stake and more than likely you hit a line. Now you have a leak to repair. Never ending fun. 

When we first moved into our new home we were in an empty development, but not it has filled in. Fortunately one large patch of land near our backyard will stay empty, but a new home to the East has ruined part of our view. The home is not done yet. The builder made a poor decision and the driveway is steeper than Mount Everest. A fellow down below us built a huge house. The problem is he has two sons. One drives a noisy jeep that is getting on everyone's wires, and the other has a dirt bike that he rides every evening when some quiet would be nice. Such is life. 

Are the Hoopleheads retreating

 The Hoopleheads in the Trump cult seem to be missing. Not many red hatted idiots in the grocery store, and the gunslingers are nowhere to be seen. Maybe the dolts are beginning to feel Trump has betrayed them. Trump called his own dingers stupid for insisting on the Epstein files, yet the simple minded still love him. 

Now for the good part. The dingers are starting to think Trump is the "deep state". Does it get any better?  Trump stirred up some lies that are backfiring on him. His gang is lying about lies he spread. The Epstein mess has the old Trumpster in super lying mode. Will it work? Usually Trump can lie his way out of anything. Fake news, fake news, it was Biden, the democrats, not me. 

Excellent turn out today for Highway 87 protest.

 About 80 people showed up to support democratic principles. It was a good turnout, and the police made sure no MAGA smoke dogs came near. Across the highway a MAGA dog has a car dealership. The MAGA dog made one of the horns on his cars go continuously. A young woman who worked for the MAGA car dealer came out with a MAGA sign. One MAGA across the street from 80 normal people told the story very well. A big thanks to the Payson police. No doubt the MAGA dogs will have some sort of show. It seems the MAGA crowd is embarrassed about the sexual predator they support. Even some MAGAs are turning against Trump. He called his own supporters stupid and said he didn't need them. Wow.

Water fell from the sky

The nectar of the gods fell last night and our holding pond is full of water. The desert pops when rain hits. Many years ago we were in the Baja and it rained as hard as it had in 100 years. The desert popped and the plants bloomed instantly. Old Kadizzle will never forget the experience. Walking in the desert felt like another planet. Unusual plants that looked like something on Mars were everywhere.  

Secretary of State

Adrian Fontes Electrifies Donuts with Democrats

Adrian Fontes delivered a powerful and inspiring speech at the Donuts with Democrats gathering, packing the Democratic Headquarters to capacity. When Kadizzle arrived early, he had his doubts. Jeff was already there, dutifully setting up rows of chairs. Kadizzle figured Jeff was being overly optimistic — but he was wrong. The room quickly filled, and by the time Fontes took the stage, it was standing room only.

Arizona’s Secretary of State proved to be a dynamic and engaging speaker, with the kind of presence that makes you believe he could very well be governor one day. His message was simple but compelling, built around ten two-letter words: “If it is to be, it is up to me.” Fontes had the audience repeat the phrase, driving home the urgent need for action.

The takeaway? Democracy doesn’t defend itself. If we want to stop the slide into authoritarianism, we all need to get off the sidelines — and off our asses — and stand up to the creeping Trump dictatorship.

The Childish MAGA mind.

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What Is the Mind of a MAGA Like?

It’s a question many thoughtful people find themselves asking: What is going on in the mind of someone deep in the MAGA world? The answer isn’t hard to find—just look at the comments they leave on Facebook posts, particularly those that challenge their worldview. The patterns are remarkably consistent and, frankly, revealing.

First, there’s the humor—or rather, the lack of it. Much of the content relies on juvenile jokes, name-calling, or tired memes that might have gotten a chuckle in a middle school locker room. It’s not that humor itself is a problem—it's that their jokes often aim down, mock the vulnerable, and rely on crude sexual innuendo or cartoonishly exaggerated caricatures. These aren’t efforts to persuade or even engage; they’re just attempts to ridicule and dominate.

Second, the comments are rarely grounded in fact or curiosity. Instead of asking questions or offering well-reasoned counterpoints, many MAGA followers jump straight to deflection, conspiracy, or ad hominem attacks. It's easier, apparently, to call someone a “libtard” or post a Photoshopped image of Joe Biden falling off a bike than to discuss climate change, healthcare, or democracy with any seriousness.

Third, there’s an emotional immaturity that runs through much of the MAGA commentary. You’ll notice a visceral need to “win” arguments—not through logic, but through volume and insult. Any disagreement is treated as an attack. Every discussion is a battlefield. There’s little room for self-reflection, nuance, or empathy. Instead, the world is split into heroes and villains, patriots and traitors.

Lastly, there is an eerie devotion to authoritarianism disguised as patriotism. Many MAGA followers celebrate strength, but only when it comes from “their side.” They claim to defend freedom while cheering for censorship of opposing views. They wrap themselves in the flag, but seem to forget what the Constitution is actually about.

So what is the mind of a MAGA like? It’s angry, tribal, and frequently unmoored from reality. It finds comfort in simplistic narratives and black-and-white thinking. It’s addicted to grievance, dismissive of complexity, and quick to lash out. It doesn't want a conversation—it wants control.

And while not everyone in that movement is the same, the loudest voices often paint the clearest picture. We should pay attention to what they say—not just to criticize, but to understand the deeper forces at work in our country.

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Back in the Arizona Mountains

The plane landed on the frying pan at Mesa. 118 degrees greeted the Kadizzles as we got off the plane. Reaching Payson the temperature dropped to 102.  That 16 degree difference is why we live in Payson. It rained while we were gone and the desert plants popped. The shade of dessert green is much more dull than Dakota green. Our good friends in North Dakota served us well. No hotel bills for 12 days was wonderful. 

Dina is pulling up stakes in North Dakota and heading to Seattle. North Dakota will lose the best liberal it ever had. North Dakota Republican greed is insane. The state has 14 billion in the bank it refuses to spend. The money's sole purpose is to protect the rich. North Dakota could have the very best of everything, but sharing is not part of the greed dogs mantra. North Dakota should have the best paid teachers, free health care and no homeless, but the Trump rats will not share. The Trump rats all claim to be direct descendants of Jesus. The Republican Jesus is one mean bastard. 

Crumbling

Today the Kadizzles return from North Dakota where we visited a lot of old good friends. Age is taking its toll. The old timers are crumbling. People are moving awkwardly, slowly and painfully. Like all old people the discussion is what happened to old Willy or what is the latest doctors visit about. Adjustments come with crumbling. Steps have a whole new meaning when they have become Mount Everest. Oh, and replacements. Yes, new knees, borrowed eyes, shots of lubrication. What fun. Now kids get ready we are moving back to be close to you. Yup, you get to take care of us. We will be your new set of kids. Then the mind goes.  Do I know you? Where am I? Driving, look out. Pills, doctors appointments. What did I do to deserved this? First you let yourself get fat, then you drank too much, and of course lack of exercise. 

Old friend Dave delivers pills to nursing homes. Dave took Kadizzle on his route from the airport to Stanton. It occurred to Kadizzle nursing homes are just well appointed jail cells where the last stages of crumbling occur.  Hope this has all been uplifting. 

Another Day in North Dakota

 Our trail crew friends spent the night with us in Stanton, ND.  We toured the Knife River Indian Village.  Cissie helped build the replica Earth Lodge there. North Dakota is so isolated and peaceful. The nights are dark and quiet. Wildlife is abundant, and the Missouri river is nearby. In the old days we sailed here and often floated the Missouri. North Dakota has many charms, you just have to discover them. 

Working on the farm

Our old friends in North Dakota let us stay in their spare house.  It is a wonderful home built by an old friend who had amazing talents. The house has some wonderful touches including custom stain glass in the Frank Lloyd Right style. The yard is several acres and Brian has a big job mowing it. Winkie and Kadizzle used to pheasant hunt here and we have many good memories of the hunts. Winkie picked a lot of June berries down by the Knife River. The main house is unique. Brian and his dad aligned the house so the sun would shine in one dormer, and out the other on only one day a year. They used to have a party on the Summer Solstice to celebrate that day. Brian like to heat with wood so he has a pile of huge logs we have been splitting. 

The Deplorables

For entertainment Kadizzle has been interacting with the deplorables. One constant in the communication is the total lack of writing ability the deplorables are cursed with. Reading their comments it seems obvious they are stuck somewhere on the fifth or sixth grade level. The reasoning ability of the MAGA dogs is non existent. It becomes obvious why Trump loves the deplorables. They are easily fooled and manipulated. Low information MAGA minds are ripe picking for Republicans. 

Summer in North Dakota

Summers in North Dakota are hard to beat. Nights are cool, days are long, and the temperature is damn near perfect. The good old days when Kadizzle used to wake up on his wonderful sailboat back in a bay. I've got to remember its a fine memory. The quiet, ah the quiet, no dingers in loud trucks, just the birds. Green, the green is pleasant compared to the parched desert. 

We lived in North Dakota for forty years. Not much has changed. Slow, life is slow here. The total lack of people is astounding. North Dakota is the cleanest state in the union. Slumming is not popular here and people keep their property up. 

Western North Dakota has some rolling hills, but the flat East is unbearable. 

A different planet

Today Kadizzle awakened on planet North Dakota. So different. No slummers, green, green everywhere. Not a mountain in sight. The Missouri river, and prairie to the horizon. A strange prosperous state with 14 billion in the bank and only 750,000 people. It could be absolute heaven, but it is infested with Republicans in the cult protecting the rich from taxes. So a state that could have free health care, the highest paid teachers, and extremely low taxes does not. Why. The hoarded oil money is for one thing only to make sure the rich are never taxed. That is the goal of the Trump cult, protect the rich from taxes. Enough money is in the bank account to give every man woman and child 17,000 dollars, but no, protect the rich.