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Two of our long-time friends, T and C, have significant health issues.

T is in his late 50's and was in a very bad accident many years ago and is confined to a wheel chair. He is terrified of using the baseboard heaters in his house, even when guests come over to visit and everyone is up and about. It's been been cold and snowing here.

He rants about how dangerous the heaters are and yells at anyone who reasonably says, It's cold in here, "Well, that's just the way we live. If we can do it, so can you." Meanwhile his wife has a little space heater by her desk where she goes to get warm once in awhile.

We couldn't wait to leave.

C is 85 and has many joint replacement surgeries due to rehumetoid arthritis. She uses a walker now to get around. We went down to the garage to pick her up at the elevator. She came out of the elevator, I got out and opened the car door for her as she walked 20 feet past the car...walker shaking over the rough asphalt..."No, pick me up over there."

"I told you I don't like to be picked up here...you come over here right now!" A few back and forths...I walk over to her to help her to the car and she swats me away...now she's fuming and screaming, red tight face. This episode occured after we had gone to her apartment and she said she didn't like our haircuts, our hats, our generation, our opinions.... We were there to deliver her Christmas present and take her out to lunch.

There was no way that lunch was going to be any better, so we simply drove off.