Attribution: Gene Daniels , Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, is not much help to the keeper as he grapples with changing eyesight conditions due to macular degeneration, which currently has him wearing an eye patch to deal with seeing double images. At this point in his nonagenarian existence, the …
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Category:Aging
Kickass and the Deer
Attribution: Photo by Prazanthy Ramesh on Unsplash By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, assist the keeper in celebrating the keeper’s uncanny foresight in buying a pair of snowshoes on the hottest day of this erratic season. It happened when Phyllis left the keeper unattended at St. Vinny’s and he spotted these beautiful Iverson snowshoes, brand new and …
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Kickass and VA Eye Visit
Attribution: Photo by v2osk on Unsplash By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, lends this space to the keeper to update his continuing saga with the VA eye clinic as it treats his advancing macular deterioration–AMD. A three-hour session of examination and consultation with top professionals answered all of the keeper and Phyllis’s questions and assured them that …
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Kickass and Driver Numbers
Attribution: Tokumeigakarinoaoshima, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, is not involved in the keeper’s project of more publicly identifying drivers as is done in Japan where drivers over 70 are encouraged to display an identifying symbol to get them “more consideration” from other drivers. The keeper is suggesting that …
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Kickass and Old Men
Attribution: Andreas Bohnenstengel, CC BY-SA 3.0 DE, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, turns it over to the keeper on this Jan. 17, 2025, as he enjoys morning coffee with Phyllis, reads a bit of poetry and announces that he is happy to be here! John Wick, then in his 90s, rode his …
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Kickass and 2025 as a Model A
Attribution: Lars-Göran Lindgren Sweden, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that the keeper, having sampled an entire day of 2025, has consulted with Phyllis and decided to go through the year identifying himself as a car, which in his case would be a Model A Ford made the …
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Kickass and Ninety-Year-Olds
Attribution: Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, joins the keeper and the multitudes in wishing Dick Van Dyke a happy 99th birthday as he dances in a new musical release–“All My Love” and says that his advice for a long life …
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Kickass and Friday
Attribution: Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, joins the keeper and Phyllis in noting the differing status of “Friday” through the aging process. From its glorious identity as the last day of school before an exciting weekend of carefree party and play, to its lifelong signal as the end of the …
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Kickass and Clint Eastwood
Attribution: movie studio, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, sits in along with Phyllis as the keeper has an imaginary meeting with Clint Eastwood regarding Clint’s advice to “Don’t let the old man in!” as a directive in living to an over-ripe old age. Keeper: “You just made another …
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Kickass Rides the Elevator
Attribution: Photo by Derrick Treadwell on Unsplash By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, joins the keeper and Phyllis in lamenting that among the annoying ups and downs foisted on a considerable portion of their “Independent Living” age group is the elevator. Perhaps not as insidious as the so called “smart phone” that assumes a brain take-over for …
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Kickass and the Numbers
Attribution: Alberto Alvim, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that at a recent social gathering of Vista West neighbors, the keeper and Bernard had a little talk about “THE NUMBER,” Bernard’s being 95 and the keeper’s 93. After some discussion as to how those numbers came about—some genetic …
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Kickass and Shirley’s Death
Photo by Bill Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that the keeper respectfully puts aside all the concerns and comments of the day to bid goodbye to Shirley, his brother Orville’s wife who died yesterday after an incredible life of selfless compassion for all living things. Shirley’s lifelong efforts on behalf of …
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