2024 - Week 17 - Pinochle, Platelets and Resident Alien

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Doing new things is great for your brain. I am an LL- a lifelong learner and I’m grateful that for the most part I enjoy trying new things. I’ve been doing new things so long it really is second nature for me, most of the time. Watching a genre of a movie or a series you normally wouldn’t watch is doing something new. It can also be picking up something new when you go grocery shopping or turning down a different street on your way home. It doesn’t have to be major, just something “different” from the usual.
This week I did three new things: Pinochle, donated platelets and watched Resident Alien on Netflix.

Pinochle
Last weekend I went over to my friend Kym Kennedy's house for a birthday celebration. At these gatherings, we pretty much hang out for the day. It's always a lot of fun and people come and go based on their availability.

I arrived mid afternoon after a four hour shift working at the local library. We offer passport processing at our branch and Saturday is usually very busy. I was looking forward to it and relaxing. After greeting the ladies that were there, I grabbed a plate of food and sat down to join the festivities.

We laughed and talked, and then started to play cards. I grew up playing cards which included tonk, bid, whist, gin rummy, spades to name a few. The card game they started to play was pinochle. I don't recall ever playing pinochle. I was up for something new. Why not?

When the ladies started to explain the game and pulled out a piece of paper to write down how to score, I thought to myself this will take a lot of mental energy. Lol. Not quite what I expected and not very relaxing. I laughed with them that pinochle required a lot of thinking. These ladies are older than me and had been playing pinochle since they were in their teens or earlier. The birthday guest of honor, Elona and I were the ones learning how to play the game. I joked and complained a bit as they were explaining how to play, and I loved how they talked us through all the steps. It was a lot of fun after I got out of my head about all the thinking required.

Donating Blood Platelets
Yesterday I donated blood platelets for the first time after receiving a request from a friend who had a family member who needed them. I’ve donated blood numerous times, so this is definitely something new and different. The process was very streamlined with the application and forms being online, I was ready to go. I am a bit of a researcher so I did go to YouTube to know what to expect. I didn’t say doing new things didn’t mean you couldn’t research, did I? Lol. I was in an out a within few hours.
Resident Alien
The third recent new thing I did was start watching Resident Alien on Netflix. It's a science fiction series about an alien who comes to earth and takes on human form. Sci-fi is not a genre I watch much so I thought I would try this series out. I found it to be hilarious with quirky characters and great writing. it’s light hearted for the most part so I can watch it and get a good laugh.
Doing new things regularly is a great way to get out of your comfort zone and keep your mind engaged and active. Would I play pinochle again, yep! I would also donate platelets again. And I’m still watching Resident Alien, I’m almost done with season 2.
What’s something new you have tried recently? Leave a comment where you are listening to this podcast and share what you see, smell, hear, taste or touch in this moment.
You can also email me at [email protected]. And if social media is better for you, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram, are best.

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