Hello my friends,
This comes to you from the far side of one of time’s great divides. A year and months have elapsed since I fell off the Grump Stump. The landing was not actually so bad but once again ascending the slippery surface of that gnarly stump has proven to be a nasty struggle.
As many of you who suffer from the same predicament are aware, there are more things to do in retirement than can be accomplished in the hours of a single day. Fortunate we are that so far there is another day, and any one or more of those things to be done can easily be rescheduled for tomorrow and then the next tomorrow and so on. Much to my delight, my schedule for most tomorrows is devoid of any pressing engagements which leaves me ample time to play Wordle and Sudoku and try to beat my own record at solving Rubik’s Cube – as well as promote world peace. Please don’t judge me on how that’s going! For those of you who have yet to reach retirement, well……….you probably have important things to do as well.
We still exercise….. a lot. Hitting the gym three days a week wouldn’t be so bad if it didn’t insist on hitting back. Then we run on the other days and meet one night a week at the highschool track with our local runner’s club for a more structured and strenuous workout. Susan and I are the most senior running couple in attendance and often hear comments from younger runners suggesting that they hope they can be doing what we’re doing at “our age”. We have to tell them “No……….you don’t! It’s 90 degrees out here and the rest of our generation is half way through happy hour discussing knee replacements, ablations and dermatology appointments. What we’re doing is trying harder and harder yet running slower and slower hoping chiefly to perpetuate the process of steady respiration! ” We then all go out for pizza and a post-workout beer which is where we really shine! The supposed upside of all this exercise is that it keeps us young. The reality is that we’re sore and tired most of the time so feel pretty old staying young.
There are many interests to pursue in the days remaining, books to read, languages to learn, naps to be taken, musical instruments to play, paintings waiting to be painted and the marvel of watching a fascinating new sunset kiss each day good-night. I’m still smearing paint upon canvas in the hope that some reluctant source of inspiration will draw from my breast the very soul of the passion that burns within. Alas, mine is yet a yoeman’s task with only a flickering flame awaiting skills to develop, making ready for that moment when inspiration does fall to a ready hand and pounding heart. Until then it’s paint by number!!
I have added few new painting to the “Paintings” page which you can find where it says Paintings toward the top left of this page.
During those quiet hours of the day when it’s too hot to entertain the thought of golf and too late to start a project, Susan and I have started playing Russian Bank. A card game that she grew up playing which apparently, when reintroduced as an adult, births the resurgence of a long dormant mean streak; in her case garnered by close association with sisters and cousins whose best nature, even when young, was not revealed during any competitive enterprise – or when they would tell her she was adopted. Consequently, due to what I percieve to be a gentle and generous nature, and lack of peripheral vision on my part versus the alertness of youth, a quick mind and minor psychological damage on hers, she crushes me everytime. The spoils of victory are few but do include the option of her having her way with me which oddly…………… she is very slow to cash in on ??? Much of this explains the sanctioning of Russisn banks.
It’s really heating up down here in the sunshine state and we’re actually as far north in the state as one can be and still share in the humiliation of being a Floridian. It’s only May and our temperatures have been about 5 degrees above average every day, twelve degrees today!!… Worrysome, but we don’t have to heat the pool and I barbecued hamburgers last night without turning on the grill! So as the saying goes – we’re making lemonade – at least until the estimated 17 to 25 seasonal “named storms “begin. That’s almost a storm a week until Nov 30th when the season ends! Flood insurance is required here but only covers water damage if it wasn’t caused by a “named storm”. Ponder that………
OK. Since you asked: Q: Why did the woman go outside with her purse open?
A: Because she expected some change in the weather! HA!
Back on the stump,
Grumpa
Great read, Jim..better yet, so thankful you and Susan are doing well ! Keep on keeping on, your retirement activities, whatever they are, are well deserved !
Susan Lustick nys lic associate real estate broker warren real estate of ithaca
Hard to believe so much is going on just up the street. You didn’t even mention weeding the garden. So much to do…so little time.
Hey Jim,
So glad my subscription hasn’t run out. Love reading your latest and greatest.
I’m still on my on-ramp to retirement and haven’t quite graduated into senior olympic or Sudoku training. Keep me posted on how it’s going. I’m achy enough upon awakening every morning without adding more aches, although a brisk 2 mile walk with the dog plus 45 minutes in the gym early every morning seems to be doing the trick to loosen me up for the rest of each day, then a 6PM Manhattan or a stiff bourgon on the rocks numbs me for the evening! All good.
Just arrived in Buffalo through Sunday with what started out as a member-guest invite at the Park Country Club of Buffalo by a college buddy of mine who lives in Buffalo, Tom Sanderson. You actually met Tom at our wedding. He shot all the photos! To reciprocate I suggested we play Stafford on Friday. To make that happen, Paul got us on including him, and Tom reciprocated to Paul and he is joining us tomorrow, plus another Buddy from college, Dave Buss who flew up from DC. Stafford has now turned into 2 foursomes, plus another 2 foursomes on Saturday morning at Terry Hills with a Friday dinner at the Caledonia Village Inn..All include Paul, Dave, Tom and me, with Bob driving up from P’burg for Friday and Saturday and some combination of the Maxwell and Battaglia family members filling in.
Although an eclectic group, it should be fun with Mary B, Paula Rock (Bill is travelling), Bob, Paul, Kate and Jim Holvey, Tom, Dave, and a couple of others joining for Friday dinner. Weather looks great!
All good on our end….Looking forward to seeing you and Susan in late August.
BTW….sorry to hear your times are dropping in spite of the rigorous training. Presuming misery loves company, I get it! I’ve been working hard to improve my golf game which is futile because the more I work the shorter the distance my ball travels. Neither the latest club or ball tech is off setting the decreasing distance. I guess it’s the well known but often ignored medical syndrome called A.G.E.! Ever hear of it?
Good to have you back on the air; albeit an obscure a m band station.
Surprised to not hear of the centrality of grandchildren in your lives, who must be waved in the faces of others like a flag pin on a politician’s lapel. This making you sound a bit self centered ( bravo ! ).
I do of course know you put in your time playing Old Maid as well as Russian Bank.