In a snow emergency, you'll find one thing in New York City:  some tough cookie seniors walking around.

Last week, New York City (where I live) got dumped with a TON of snow.  It doesn't happen very often, but when it snows ... it snows heavily.  A few hours after the storm obliterated the city (turning it into a serene, pretty and QUIET place), I laced up my boots, zipped up my jacket and journeyed out into the polar ice cap to investigate the damage.

I was amazed to see one thing in particular:  white snow.  (Usually it's yellow or black by the time I get to it.)  I was also amazed to see the number of senior citizens -- we're talking really old people -- going about their day with their coming and going.  That takes a lot of nerve, in my opinion, and it's reason #529 that New Yorkers are tough cookies.

Here I was, nervous that I'd fall on my butt or take an embarrassing spill trying to cross the street -- and yet these 70-to-80-year-olds were trekking through the snow complete with a D'Agastino plastic shopping bag covering their frosted hair.

I thought to myself no wonder most people their age go to Florida in the winter and then reflected on just how many people didn't and who, instead, braved the elements to get to the store or the restaurant or anywhere else they were going.

How they do it is a mystery to me.  But the fact that they're still up and at it really inspired me.  I should only be that stubborn (and foolish?) when I'm that age!

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It's officially wintertime.  Well, maybe not "officially," but definitely from the look, feel and smell of things ... it's winter.  Which means one thing in New York City:  seasonal ice skating!

I know I'm really a 78-year-old man trapped in a 28-year-old body, but the thought of ice skating is nerve-wracking!  The other day I went to an ice skating party and we all jumped on skates after one (two) drinks.  Which made things even worse!  It was as though the crowd skated in loops, while there was a different kind of loop in my head, saying, "Don't fall!  Don't break anything!  Don't fall!"

When you have arthritis, ice skating brings new meaning to the "walking on thin ice" analogy -- I was petrified of getting hurt (and looking stupid ... which, obviously, was more important at the time).  Holding a girl's hand while I skated didn't make it any easier.

But at least it made me focus on something other than getting hurt.  For 30 seconds.

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This weekend I did something I dread:  I went shoe shopping.  It's different for a guy (like me) because I don't really buy a lot of shoes.  When I do, I stick with them, take care of them, and wear them for years.  So the anxiety hit when I was faced with a decision at Foot Locker about which sneaker pair to buy.

I guess I have a fear of commitment.  For sneakers.  I need to account for a lot of things -- perhaps most importantly, the question of "are these really comfortable?"  Good sneakers go a long way, especially when you're walking miles from the arrival gate to the luggage carousel.  And when you have arthritis in your knees and back, a comfortable pair of sneakers is critical.

But when they're all supposed to be comfortable, and are manufactured in 52,000 colors and styles, that decision is made a little more difficult.

And since Foot Locker employs Ph.D.'s or Ph.D. candidates, their professional advice is based primarily on which basketball star is most popular (today's answer: LeBron James).  As much as I loved Michael Jordan, I am not a fan of the footwear that don his name and emblem.

Now I live with the anxiety of wondering whether or not I made the right decision.  Until I think about the saying that my dad would tell me as a kid:  "I cried when I had no shoes, until I met a man with no feet."

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Most people opt out of politics unless there's a juicy scandal involving an intern, a bag of money in the freezer, or an escort.  Which really grinds my gears, because when a subject like health care comes up, we all need to pay attention.  The old saying goes "if you don't have your health ..." -- so I ask myself, how could anyone afford to ignore what's going on?

Here's the problem:  it affects all of us (especially those with arthritis) because we're the ones living with a chronic condition who rely on good health care to live a decent life.

If you've ever gotten a referral, been prescribed multiple medications, needed a test (like an MRI) or even a second opinion, you've likely had difficulty navigating the complicated mess of approval, authorization, and reimbursement that is health insurance benefits.

It's hard not to get angry at the thought of an insurance company denying a claim.  I remember way back when I was prescribed a Prilosec (proton pump inhibitor) to keep the other medicine I was taking from causing an ulcer.  That one little pill (back then it was prescription-only) was so annoying to get approvals for, it must have taken a dozen phone calls a month between the doctor's office, pharmacy, insurance company and my mom.  And why?  Because an MBA graduate at the health insurance company made a formula that kicked back costly drugs because there were other alternatives available.

Even then I never understood how an insurance company could challenge a doctor's decision to prescribe a certain medicine.  Why even separate the two?  If we're going to get screwed by the insurance company, why not take out the middleman and have Blue Cross open clinics for their doctors to tell us up front that the medicine or tests we need aren't covered, so we won't even bother.

Whichever "side" or whatever opinion one might have about the health care conversation, it's best to at least get involved and know more.  And know more doesn't mean learn everything from Fox News or even MSNBC.  It comes down to learning and thinking about some of the complexities that comprise the issue.  Boiling down health care into small sound bites or news stories (like disruptive town hall meetings) doesn't scratch the surface.

And it doesn't do us any good if we're going to actually get hooked up and stop being jerked around.

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This past weekend was a very interesting one for me.  I opened my mind and, as a result, hooked up my body.

Yoga has never been something I'd consider a hobby (or even an interest) of mine.  Probably because, in college all those years ago, I signed up for a class just to follow a girl on whom I had a crush.

Needless to say, that didn't end well (on any front) and left a really sour taste in my mouth for yoga.

It might have been the attitude (a good one), the clean country air, summer sun or all of the above which conspired to make my first (technically second) yoga experience a really great one.  Alignment, happiness and clarity came together at once to make me feel better -- on the spot.

Seriously, what the heck is this all about?  I am definitely on to something here, there is much more to come.

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