Crossing Over . . . .

Today, May 31, 2012, signals the last day for me.  

I'm crossing over.

With that in mind, my goal on this final day is to take extreme care with every move I make.  

No banana peel slippages.  No "gettin' throwed," as in the saying:  There ain't a horse that's never been rode; there ain't a rider that's ever been throwed.

Well, actually, up to this day, I've never been "throwed."  I've fallen off a few times, haven't even been bucked off.  

A couple of those falls meant landing on my head, which may explain a lot . . . .

One time I landed on my head in the old rodeo grounds arena; that's where Interstate Paving is now---on Baldy Road.

My neighborhood friend Susie Baldwin and I were out doing "illegal" things with our steeds, Largo and Major.  

For Susie, there was really nothing illegal she could do with big ol' white Major.  He must've been 45 or so. 

She could get away with anything on a horse cuz her parents knew virtually nothing about horses, especially what NOT to do with them.

My parents, on the other hand, were both old-time horse people. 

They had rules.  

DON'T RUN THOSE HORSES ON THE HARD ROAD!  That was the main one.  

Well, we did, always far out of sight from my parents.  

After an evening of exceeding the equine speed limit,  we would arrive at the corner of Boyer and Woodland Drive (also the corner of our woods in mailbox pilfering land), I would get off Largo and rub all the lather off her legs.

Usually, it was after dark when I came plodding into the driveway, so I was usually safe from parental rage. 

The time I fell on my head at the rodeo grounds would have been deemed a bit more legal cuz it wasn't on the road.  

Susie and I decided to race each other around the arena, each going opposite directions from the entry gate, which also served as the finish line.

Largo, a rather stylish bay Saddlebred-Morgan mare with an ugly nose, loved to run AND Largo really liked to win.

Well, she came in first----without me on her.  When she wheeled around the final turn toward home, I fell off.  

My head survived, I guess.

Anyway, back to why this is the last day.  I'm avoiding all accidents, fights, diseases, etc. until tomorrow.  

Tomorrow, June 1, I cross over into the realm as an official Medicare beneficiary.  I always thought up until this year, that the cross-over day was on the 65th birthday.

I learned differently, and since I've paid premiums for Medicare, supplemental insurance and meds, my coverage officially begins tomorrow.

Then, guess what my goal is---after the official crossover!

I fully intend to avoid banana-peel slippages, getting "throwed," engaging in brawls and contracting diseases.  

All this----because I do NOT want to use my Medicare, supplemental insurance, meds benefits.

But I shall have peace of mind, and that is a good feeling. 

So, off I go to make this last day trauma free in hopes of fully enjoying the "cross over" tomorrow.

Stay safe.  Happy Thursday.