Encounters at the Post Office: an aging dog, the man who loves the dog even more than he loves cameras and the anonymous woman coffee buyer; health benefits of coffee
Saturday, May 21, 2011 at 2:42PM 
I spotted them the other day at the post office as I was walking back to my car, the man still in his car with the dog. I thought, "I should photograph these two before the man gets out of the car," but I was feeling very lazy, tired to the extreme, worn down by all my recent travels and sleepless nights.
If I took the picture, then it would only be right to show it to the man and dog and tell them what I was doing, but I did not feel like explaining anything to anyone and I already had a tremendous amount of pictures to deal with, so I let the moment pass.
Just before I got into my car, the man stepped out of his car and commented on my camera. He wondered if it it was film or digital and if one could even still buy film at all.
He still had an old film camera, he said, but the camera didn't work anymore. He loved photography, he loved film. He had misgivings toward digital.
So I told him I would like to photograph his dog with my digital camera and he said sure. He wondered if he should roll down the window so that I could see the dog better but I told him "no" because if he left it up I could get both the dog and him in the picture - he by reflection.
The dog is Sleater, and she is 13 years old. She has cataracts and diabetes. Jerry would like to buy a new camera, but he spends a lot of money on Sleater's medical bills. There is not enough left to spare for a new camera.
Through the Metro Window, study # 4997: Discussing the health benefits of coffee
At the post office, I also came upon someone else. I am not quite certain who. A woman. Was it the woman driving a pickup truck who parked in the spot next to mine? Was it the woman who came through the door right behind me, so instead of letting it shut in her face I held it open and she walked through and smiled and said "Thank you?"
Or was it the one who held the door for me and I said "Thank you," to?
Or just one I passed in the hall?
There was one more who I remember seeing as she walked on the sidewalk to the post office door and then went inside well before I reached the door? She returned to her car even as I was still getting my mail.
These incidents happened on a couple of different days and I cannot quite sort which ones happened on the very day that I pulled up to the window at Metro Cafe and Carmen said my coffee was free, that a woman had seen me at the Post Office and so had bought this coffee for me, plus a pastry and she had even left one dollar for the tip.
This left a quarter in change, so Carmen gave me the quarter.
Whichever one of these ladies you might have been - thank you!
I also heard a story on NPR about coffee and health and in particular, prostate health. A study had been done and it found that men who drank a goodly amount of coffee were 60 percent less likely to get prostate cancer than men who did not.
Those who drank a modest amount of coffee, 30 percent less likely.
And it noted that due to the anti-oxcidents in coffee, there are many other health benefits to be had from drinking coffee.
In my upbringing, to drink a cup of coffee was to sin - and to sin big.
I developed prostate problems very early in life. These problems caused me a great deal of pain and discomfort. I had to get up two or three times a night - sometimes even more.
I did not start drinking coffee until I started to hang out with Iñupiat whale hunters.
It took a lot of years, but those prostate pains and problems all seem to have gone away.
Most nights, I do not have to get up even once now.
I did take some medication for awhile and it helped a lot, but I had to stop because I could not afford it and the insurance company that charged me cadillac premiums for clunker service and eventually drove me off their rolls before health care could pass would not help with the medications.
Yet the problems went away after I quit the medication.
Coffee?
I don't know. Maybe. Could have been.
In this picture, by the way, Carmen, Shoshana and I are having a serious discussion about the health benefits of drinking coffee, vs. religious taboos against drinking coffee.
In some ways, I still feel like I am committing a grave sin everytime I drink a cup of coffee, but I enjoy the coffee and maybe, just maybe, it is helping to keep me alive.
The story said that for maximum benefit, one should drink six cups of coffee every day.
I would, but I fear that if I drank that much coffee every day, it would kill me.
When I am with whalers, I sometimes drink that much coffee but when one is on the ice the body metabolizes everything very fast.
Reader Comments (10)
jerry is a good man and that is a good dog. I'm glad that your prostate problem went away.
Bill,
Lovely story! As for your prostate, try saw palmetto. It is a plant native to Florida and other southern states. You can buy it at Swanson's Vitamins, Puritan's Pride, and other discount vitamin websites. It cured my dad's prostate (frequent urination) issues.
Frances
PS -- The "Church" would approve of this remedy.
One does get ravenous in the wilderness. I grew up drinking Labrador (ayuq) tea and Lipton at fish camp - but I can't stand to now. Only when I go to fish camp will I have yurr'qa with pilot bread and dry fish. Mana from Heaven!
Glad you got a freebie cup, pastry and a quarter. Good fortune my friend.
Your coffee drinking is probably just the reason you missed the 'rapture' bus. God doesn't want a bunch of caffeine addicts in heaven. We get ornery when deprived.
I got left behind too. Either that or the rapture didn't happen. One of the two.
Your coffee/prostate link reminded me of hearing about camel milk and its positive qualities w/ regard to diabetes.
The milk contains high insulin and insulin-like protein, which can help in regulating the blood glucose levels.
So, does this mean that Bedouins have a lower rate of diabetes? Maybe we should consider purchasing camels to have a ready source?? or a way of making extra money?
I live in the desert, but am not into camel spitting. (grin)
Thank you for appreciating old dogs! Mine is 14, and sleeping like a baby by my feet. The years can wear away at their energy, their cuteness, but it just makes their sweetness shine more.
Drink some Decaf to get your 6 cups. The study said it matters not if it's caffeinated or decaf, it's the antioxidants in the beans that provide the benefit.
Carmen sure is good at keeping secrets.
I have a friend who married into the Mormon family. I feel real comfortable asking her questions that I would not normally ask some of my other Mormon friends. I,too, was curious as to why they could drink hot chocolate (which has caffeine) but not coffee. My friend told me that it's not the coffee but the addictive qualities of coffee that is objectionable.
Be that as it may, I drink alot of coffee. Unfortunately Carmen uses Kaladi Brothers coffee which gives me heartburn. I have another coffee shop I patronize. They use the same Ron Maclure's coffee that I use at home.
AKPonyGirl - It sounds like you are the one that I need to thank - again!
I was riding my bike down Church Road a couple of days ago and there was a group of people with some horses just off the corner of Church and Spruce. One of the ladies smiled at me.
Was that you?
That wasn't me on Church. There are such awesome trails around my house (off Schrock) that I do not ride the roads unless it is a short distance to get to another section of trail. Mostly we ride in the river bottoms along the Little Su or up on the mountains behind Pat Carney's house.
I'm glad you enjoyed your coffee and pastry. I enjoy your blog.