So much of my life now is consumed by the medicine business. I'm hypertense, overweight, diabetic, balancing poorly, and had a minor heart attack in Buenos Aires a couple years ago. On some days I can barely remember my phone number. On the plus side, I've lost a lot of weight.

I've been in emergency rooms all over the western world and let me tell you something: in the US, we don't do it so good. If you asked any European to swap their health care for an American-style system, they'd laugh in your face.

I'm still working, still walking, still enjoying food and family, friends, books and movies, music, the creative life. I take it a day at a time like everybody else.