Summer in October …

Last weekend included several activities within walking distance of our apartment, another advantage of life in Hyde Park. We dined with friends at Teller’s restaurant on Saturday. On Sunday we were back at Hyde Park Square for a brunch, hosted by our neighbors, and visited the Art Show. The Art Show was excellent, with exhibitors offering a variety of interesting and impressive pieces.

Sunday afternoon was the first performance in the “Broadway across America” series, of which we are subscribers. It was held at the Aronoff Center, a beautiful theater downtown. The play was “My Fair Lady,” perhaps a little too familiar, but the staging made it as fresh as ever.

Summer in Cincinnati has proven to be a long, hot and dry one. Even in early October we were still suffering through temperatures in the upper 80s with the occasional record-breaking 90. A bit more seasonable weather arrived last Tuesday and we hope it is here for its normal three-month stay. By the weekend I am dressed as if for skiing just to get the morning paper at the end of our sidewalk.

I am still working with my primary care doctor on my shortness-of-breath problem. A stress test, chest x-rays, and oxygen uptake and lung function tests were encouraging, even reaffirming my fitness. So I was sent to the specialists.

A visit to the cardiologist led to an angiogram. He said my heart muscle was fine, and that there were no blockages, not even the need for a stent. Next stop was the pulmonologist. He laid out a complex program including using inhalers, scaling back other medications, blood testing for thyroid problems and testing for sleep apnea.

Last week I also started a non-credit class in cultural literacy. The course is offered by the University of Cincinnati, and held at Temple Sholom. The first class focused on classical literature in fill-in-the-blanks form. I flopped miserably.

Our cultural extravaganza of the last week ended with dinner at “Porkopolis” on the way to see “Othello at the Playhouse. Both were delicious.

jbv's Competitive Edge