And the answer is....

For all of my faithful followers (I'm up to two now that my wife has the link), I'm back home after a SUCCESSFUL climb up the cables. Woo-Hoo! I did it!

View from the Sub-Dome, minutes before heading up

This turned into such an amazing, and very weird adventure that I decided to break this into multiple posts in the following order:

1. The Arrival - a brief posting on the trip out, the luxurious accommodations at the 'Yosemite lodging formerly known as Curry Village', and a few more things to worry about. 
2. Stairway to Heaven - a step by step description of the ascent, and some of the really stupid things I did which I paid for on the way down. 
3. The Long Way Back or why I did not get ice cream, beer or dinner - when you hike 9 miles with 4400 feet of elevation gain to get to the top of Half Dome, you then have to hike 9 miles with 4400 feet of elevation loss to get back to camp. If you screw up on hydration and food intake, you may wind up calling for search and rescue, and may not get back in time to have a victory celebration.
4.  Simple Acts of Kindness - how Saint PB&J saved the day for me. And thoughts on why you should avoid sitting on the dirt, late at night, with a headlamp. There are many creepy, crawling things out there.
5. Final Thoughts - a few brief words of wisdom for anyone interested in giving Half Dome a try. This will probably be of interest to anyone over 55..or maybe 60.