Crowdin' 30 and still wearin' jeans

Pull up a chair and let's think on getting older. No reason to fight it. There's still a lot of livin' to do, a lot of fun to stir up.

Went to the doctor this morning for a routine check-up. Had it scheduled for a couple of months.

Seem to be doing OK, except my blood pressure's up. I'll take that. So many have more serious problems.

Only thing is I gotta watch myself, the doc says. No more hot dogs with chili drippin' off it. No more grease. No more salt. Sigh.

My BP's been up for about a year now. I've always put it off to the usual suspects: work-related stress and heredity. Doc says if it gets worse, it will damage the ticker.

But no worries. I just gotta change my eating habits a little bit, keep exercising regularly, start eating breakfast, all that jazz.

That's the first time, though, I've ever visited the doc and gotten any kind of "you gotta watch what you're doing" advice regarding physical health. Kind of makes ya sad, you know? Just another sign you really are an adult.

Thing is, I feel like a kid. I still laugh too loud at John Candy movies. Still crank the radio up when a good song comes on. I like playin' cards with the boys, checkin' out the girls, having as much fun as possible and gettin' away to the lake whenever I can.

And I think that's good. You're only as old as you feel. Life's pretty good as I creep toward that dreaded 3-0. You all probably think I'm a broken record I know, but every opportunity I get, I'm going to tell you how much I care about my family and all my good friends. I've got a whole host of them. This ride would be a heck of a lot less fun without each and every one of 'em.

Tonight I'm reading the final installment in Larry McMurtry's "Lonesome Dove" series, "Comanche Moon." It's all about a great friendship -- between Texas Rangers Augustus McCrea and Woodrow Call. They're off fighting Indians, courtin' women, raisin' hell and settlin' the land. As you can imagine, I'm having a blast with it.

So, yeah, life's pretty good tonight. You just can't get to takin' things too seriously is all. Make time to spend with those you love. Make fun of yourself. Laugh a lot. Listen to music. Have a good time.

How would Don Williams put it in that ode to his woman Amanda?

Well, a measure of people don't understand, the pleasures of life in a hillbilly band.

I got my first guitar when I was 14, now I'm crowdin' 30, and still wearin' jeans...