DONNIE'S PANTS

"Comes another indicator that I, too, am "fat."   The latest pop measure (saw it cited in several sources) is "belly fat"--that the inches around one's middle at the navel should be less than half one's height.  My 6 feet of height (72") means I should be no more than 36" around the waist.  Well, I am more than that.  (I was 32" most of my life.  At age 50 I suddenly went to 34".  And since retirement I have gone to 36".  I don't know whether to buy new clothes or just die.)

Meantime, Time magazine has a long piece on the "pursuit of happiness," or as they title it inside, "The Happiness of Pursuit," their point being, I guess, that getting there is at least half the fun--the happiness lies in the pursuit.  Among the usual charts and statistics is the claim that home owners are less happy than renters: that owners are more likely to suffer stress and gain weight.

So I can blame my new fat status on home ownership, along with stress and endless expenses...not to mention the scorpions."