Senior Moments

In this madcap romp through the life of a typical senior citizen, author S.L. Varnado discusses his problems with telephone menus that fail toconnect him with a living person, computers that refuse to compute, andHMOs that motivate him to seek assisted suicide. As Varnado shares his difficulties with a ?satanic? television set thatbrings in the Beverly Hillbillies speaking French, diets that lead to slowdeath by starvation, ?aerobic exercises? that take the wind out of you,and ?ghetto blasters? that wake the neighborhood at midnight, itbecomes apparent that an elderly person?s life is beset with danger in this brave new world of the twenty-first century. Varnado winces at the grimdifficulties of a wife who keeps him on a rigorous diet and doctors wholeave him alone for hours in tiny cubicles. There are, however, raremoments of triumph, such as when he convinces his wife that he is notreally the ?klutz? she thinks he is and when he makes a delightfulpilgrimage to the local shopping mall.Although never one to take things lightly, Varnado leaves you with thefeeling that even though ?life can?t be beautiful,? a little cleverness canmake it ?tolerable.?