» On 1/06/2026 08:40:00 PM Mountain Standard Time, Alan wrote:
Jenga Birthday. 

Yesterday, Monday the 5th, was my 75th birthday. Three-quarters of a century. Quite the milestone. I never expected to live this long, so it was a complete surprise to me. My lovely wife, on the other hand, saw it coming and decided we should celebrate in style, with a one-day mini-break at this fancy resort. She understands that it's impossible to buy gifts for me, because on the infrequent occasion when I see something I want, I order it immediately. No delayed gratification for this buckeroo - who knows if I'll be around tomorrow?! Anyway, I've always wanted to experience The Boulders, but was intimidated by its snobbish, private-heli-pad swankiness. I was more drawn to the scenic rock formations (see links above). Fascinating. But the complications began right away:

1) Our resort invoice featured a "mandatory" daily fee of $35.00, which included: basic guest internet access, fitness center access, fitness classes, gratuities for bell service, concierge, & shuttle drivers, club storage, local & toll-free calls, and on-property golf-cart shuttle. Mandatory? WTF?! So after checking in online and obtaining our digital room key, we looked up the location of our #236 "casita" and compared it to Google's map. We discovered the nearest parking space was 159 meters away. Worst possible case? We could walk it. But, as decrepit old folks, we realized we would probably rely on the bell service and golf-cart shuttle. We also came to the conclusion that The Management, in its late-stage-capitalism greed, would likely allocate most of the 35 bucks to things other than bellhops and shuttle drivers, who would probably get offended if they were stiffed by us, AS WELL AS by their bosses. A neat Jenga conundrum. Sigh.

2) My follow-up appointment with the Myasthenia Gravis clinical research study was originally scheduled for Monday, the same date as my birthday. Since we receive a generous $150 meal reimbursement for each research visit, we decided to (a) go to the neuroscience center, (b) drive to a nice restaurant and order lots of tasty take-out, and (c) have a food orgy in the casita. I usually take my two research pills at 7am and 7pm, but received a phone call at 10am on Monday, saying I should NOT take the morning pill until I arrived at my 1pm appointment. Too late! So they asked to change my appointment to Tuesday, and since I don't want to screw up their research, I said OK. Both Anikó and I could almost visualize the Jenga blocks starting to fall. But we moved things around as best we could, and decided to have a much more modest food orgy, using the hotel's room service. We would delay the big feast until Tuesday. So when we finally arrived at the hotel, we discovered that a measly club sandwich from room service was FORTY BUCKS. Sigh. And the casita, which looked on the Google map like it was right up against some beautiful huge boulders, turned out to have NO windows on that side. Which meant our balcony had a stunning view... of many other casitas. Sigh. Jenga blocks everywhere. But we eventually carved out a memorable two-day birthday celebration.

3) Our diets begin tomorrow. 😉 [pix on fb]

Labels: mg

 
» On 1/05/2026 12:01:00 AM Mountain Standard Time, Alan wrote:
Mayo Clinic. 

I should not be permitted to use ChatGPT. 😉

[The Myasthenic's birthday collab w/A.I.]
When Sally Met Hellmann's (:30 vid)
Mayo, may-ay-ay-o / Daylight come and me wan' go home...

Labels: mg

 
» On 1/03/2026 07:00:00 AM Mountain Standard Time, Alan wrote:
MG Memes. 

I recently found many Myasthenia Gravis support groups on Facebook and Reddit, with thousands of members. A few of them allow memes featuring the issues commonly experienced in our myasthenic subculture. Here are a few samples. (I believe the most reliable way to get to know a group of people is by trying to understand what tickles their funny bones - tap images to enlarge.)

Labels: mg

 
» On 1/01/2026 12:01:00 AM Mountain Standard Time, Alan wrote:
MG Iconography/Mythology: Snowflake, Sloth, Spoons... 

Myasthenia Gravis is often called the Snowflake Disease because, like snowflakes, no two cases are precisely alike, with symptoms varying widely in type, severity, and timing for each individual. This nickname reflects the condition's unpredictable nature, when symptoms like drooping eyelids, double vision, or muscle weakness can appear and disappear, worsen with exertion, and improve with rest, making each patient's journey unique and requiring customized treatment. Also, an abstract teal snowflake is the symbol and brand of MGFA, the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America.

The sloth is the unofficial mascot for Myasthenia Gravis because MG patients like to use the animal as a representation of the way they manage their energy, adopting "Sloth Mode" to conserve strength by prioritizing rest and pacing activities, mirroring the sloth's naturally slow movements to cope with profound muscle weakness from this autoimmune condition. While sloths are naturally slow due to low metabolism, MG patients embrace slow living to avoid fatigue, turning the animal's trait into a positive, adaptive strategy for daily life.

The Spoon Theory is a concept used by MG patients to signify how they manage finite reserves of energy. Spoons are metaphors describing the amount of physical or mental energy that a person has available for daily activities and tasks, and how it can become limited. The idea was expressed in a 2003 essay by American writer Christine Miserandino. She describes her experience with chronic illness, using a handful of spoons to represent the units of energy available to perform everyday actions. The Spoon Theory has since been used to describe a wide range of disabilities and mental health issues.


And June is MG Awareness Month. (Ribbon 🎗️ color is teal.)

Labels: mg