Clear for Takefoff

Pure skill and determination
That was part of my canned answer when someone would say "Good Luck" to me.
Luck has nothing to do with it.  It takes pure skill and determination was always my answer.
I have decided to modify that answer when someone says good luck about my up coming operation.  In this case it will be pure skill by the entire team at the Cleveland Clinic and determination by me.
As you might have noticed I have a tendency to compare a lot of life lessons to running a marathon.  When trying to complete a marathon I feel 90% is mental. Your perpetration, training and planning is important but your body is trying in every way to tell you to stop but your mind must convince your body to continue.  In this case I have decided to take this operation to my advantage and come out of it stronger and better than before.  The modern advantages of medicine will be used in this case to help fight off the disadvantage of getting older.  We all know that as time marches on cells just don't replicate as they use to but In my case I will have a faulty valve replaced by a brand new one that will easily out live me.
I saw on the news this morning that a 91 year old woman had set a new record for completing a marathon at that age.  My plan is not to break any records but after this operation I can now be the best that I can be.  No more worrying about my heart.  Just think what I can now accomplish without the distraction and use the 90% mental power to my advantage in all aspects of my life.
With one week left I will now transfer my thoughts to not the surgery and recovery but more so what what I want to do with myself when I am now better than ever.  So much left to do.  So many goals to set and mark off as time passes on.
Putting my thoughts down on paper for all interested parties to read has proven to be very theraputic.  Not sure how it will work out on the other side but you can be sure I will not simply tell you that I walked around the block.  I have had folks that I don't even know leave me messages of encouragement along with tidbits of advice.
One guy gave me a name of a book that he read that proved helpful, by the name of Living Life to the Full.  I am not much of a book reader but this one is planned to be finished before my surgery.  It is about a woman that had done many triathlons and always wanted to do the ultimate triathlon which is the Iron Man event.  An Iron Man triathlon is started with a 2.4 mile swim in open water, 112 mike bike ride and finish with a 26.2 mile marathon.  Her goal was to do that 8 months after her surgery.  I completed an Iron Man event back in 2012 and did some calculations.  My goal is to finish the Berlin Marathon 3 months after my surgery which is  approximately 1/3 of what she was able to achieve.  So in my mind that should be an achievable goal.
On the other side of the coin some coworkers gave me another book to read, called The Last Train to Paradise.
I love a good laugh and I am still laughing about this one.
It is a story about a rail system that was built down on the Florida Keys but I am sure I will not hurt anyone feelings if it simply remains on the coffee table as a conversation piece.  It is somewhat appropriate since I always try to live my life to the fullest as if it was my Last Train to Paradise.
Here is quote that I do live by.
Hunter Thompson wrote: "Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!"
Tony