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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Category:Aging
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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Kickass Sits by the Silo
Photo by Bill Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, is occasionally awed at the keeper’s refined dating technique and the smooth way he impresses Phyllis. Yesterday, for example, he agreed to drive her out to Four Winds Farm in Fitchburg where they could sit by the tall silo and eat wood-fired pizza while …
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Kickass and Handsome Rescuers
Attribution: Gamze Yeşildoğan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that the keeper recognizes the unfortunate evolution of the word “fall” from to “fall” in love, or to “fall” for a fast-talking car sales pitch, to its current age-related dominance as to “fall” on your face or your ass …
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Kickass and the Gout
Attribution: James Gillray , Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, passes along information from the keeper that for sheer mind-cleansing, along with gaining the surprise ability to assume a laser-like concentration, nothing beats a nighttime attack of gout. With no warning whatsoever, in the middle of the night, a big …
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Kickass and 93rd Birthday
Photo by Phyllis Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, notes that the keeper having laid claim in a pre-birthday post to being the world’s oldest sometimes-naked accordion player, takes the occasion of his actual 9/11 birthday to announce his retirement from further campfire performances—naked or otherwise, in part at the behest of Phyllis …
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