Category: age

Going Up

So when you think things are really low, little surprises pop up to change your day.

My nephew Greg is here for a much anticipated visit. It actually is nice to have my family here for once. We played Monopoly and went walking with the girls.

When we had come in, there were some parcels delivered.One was an early gift from my friend Duch. It was something to help me keep things in perspective-a red baseball hat with a dog on it and it says “Tail Therapy.”

Then I got two great cards from my bud Juls- one for my birthday which was so lovely and a barking card for Christmas! It was nice to feel loved.


Appreciation is highly underrated.

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If it was age, heat or what,Zush has not been in a good walking mood. I would assume that she is probably hurting, She goes out to take care of business and then turns me around to come back.
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The Kasia says to me,”Don’t be sad, Mom: I will walk with you.”

So After I hang our freshly washed sheets out on the line, Kas and I will be going out to get a little exercise in this heat.Zush, smart girl that she is, will stay on her new bed and in the air.

It’s just a little bittersweet not to take both my girls out.
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More Fun than a Barrel of Monkeys

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There’s something about the joy of dealing with the kindergarten class.I am sure that it has something to do with the age.Sure, all kids, especially boys, like to flex their muscles but it is the teacher and aide’s place to gently put things into perspective.I can honestly say that when I have the chance to work with them, my day is awesome.The older kids already have their ways set and don’t really, well,maybe, rarely,listen.

Give me the little kids everyday.

Chilly today and tomorrow?

We have officially gotten to the point where the weather has said good-bye to the 50 degree global warming weather, and we are in the 20’s and 30’s, and looking down the barrel of the gun of the even cooler weather down here. The wind says hello…ALOT.

I washed our sheets today and it is the unfortunate time to put the polar fleece sheets on the bed.We each grew up in row homes, then made our way to twin homes, and the home we are now in is a single, raised off the ground.When the wind comes down the street, well, it says hello. The problem with the polar fleece sheets is you really go through a lot of moisturizer in order to make sure you are comfortable through the night. The good “Bad” thing about it is that when it is a really cold morning, you really don’t want to get out of bed, because you are nice and warm.Also, as we are in that arthritic stage, keeping the body aches warm make you feel pretty good, at least as far as we are concerned.

I grew up with flannel sheets, and I really don’t think Jim had them until we got married, and flannel sheets are good. Friends say to me that I don’t see HOW you can ever sleep on polar fleece because it’s too warm. I usually go back to the old axiom of,” That’s why they make chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. Everyone gets what they want.”

…with the exception of folks who like coffee ice cream…lol.

SNL Christmas Special

Well, normally I could catch White Christmas on actual television the night before my birthday, but this year it seems not to be.It’s kind of weird, as there are a lot of years I missed SNL so I never heard some of this stuff.

I am thankful for having another year under my belt.I am so grateful that Zosia has made it through a medical up and down year, and is still hanging in, and that Kasia is more of a love bug than I ever could imagine.I am happy that I almost have a full year of city retirement under my belt.I am thankful for my family, and I miss them: things would be good if I got to see them more.

Most of all, thanks, Gentle Reader, for hanging in for another year of my posts: you are appreciated more than you can imagine.

Pretty Old.

So I am retired,now, right?

It’s a holiday weekend, right?

I can’t believe I made time to do this, but I actually worked on some Christmas cards today. I don’t know what came over me.Maybe it’s the fact that I have this desk that really isn’t as large as I have had in the past and I thought, maybe working on them, I’ll make some room.

I flashed back to growing up and remembering my Mom sitting at the dining room table addressing Christmas cards.Jeez, even she waited until the first weekend of December.I am having company next weekend, so I guess, that also played in the back of my mind,so I would have time to hang with my buddy from my teens, Margo.

For some reason though,realizing I did this today made me think of how OLD I am fortunate to be getting. I just wish mentally, I’d feel a little younger….

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With apologies to Simon and Garfunkel

“I was twenty-one when I wrote this song.
I’m 23 now but I won’t be for long.
Time hurries on,
And the leaves that are green turn to brown.”

I’ve quoted this song before in a prior blog.It has gone through my head today as my oldest nephew who lives in Minnesota is 39 today.

Thirty nine.

Where does the time go? I am retired, he is married and has two boys of his own.I used to go out and see him during the winter break from college.He was such a cute little guy and is a handsome man now.

It is so funny going into the retired chapter of your life. I thought I’d be retired, and I end up working.I thought growing up I’d be a Mom, and I have to fur children who I wouldn’t trade for the world.I never, ever thought that I’d be A cancer survivor let alone a THREE cancer survivor, thank God.

Time does hurry on.

I am thankful, on this thanksgiving eve, for every morning I get up with two feet on the floor. I am thankful for my family, but most importantly, I am thankful for my friends.

Happy Thanksgiving.
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Little Red Bucket

I have a treasured memory that I managed to save from my Mom.

  
I remember this bucket from childhood.

What’s so special about it?

It’s my Mom’s clothespin bucket.

I can remember as a toddler being in the back yard of Mitchell Street, with the clothesline hung and Mom carrying up the laundry from the cellar steps.It is how I got my first job for Mom. I stood next to her and was allowed to hand her a clothespin when she asked for it. Sure, I worked my way up to hanging handkerchiefs, hanging straight sheets, and later  fitted sheets.

I don’t remember when the bucket list its’handle, but every time the bucket is next to me in the yard, I can feel Mom in her house dress and her kerchief wrapped around her head.It is kind of bizarre to say you feel warmth from a bucket of clothes pins, but I do.

Thanks, Mom.

Bermuda Triangle of “Knee-d”

My leg is rebelling.

More precisely, after close to a year of fit bit zipping, my right leg below my knee, is rebelling. Yesterday and today,it has been swollen a bit.

If you remember,or if you are late to the party, I had double knee replacements in March of 2011.So there should be no issues, right?

Hah.

With the swelling as one part of the Knee-d Bermuda Triangle, the second part would be the medical care.

Oh yeah.Had double knee replacements and have an issue with a leg? Don’t move ninety-some miles away from the surgeon who replaced your bum knees.You see, down here in the boonies, NOBODY wants to deal with your sore leg, as they don’t want to touch someone else’ work.Nice, eh?

The third point of this triangle is the leg itself.I used my head and didn’t do 15,000 steps today: I was babying it a little bit. The leg is somewhat less swollen than it was yesterday, and honestly, pain was really not an issue.It’s just when something gets swollen with your leg, and you know you are smack dab in the middle of your fifties, you get concerned.

Thanks to my friend Kate for a long distance consult.To my other buddies who have heard my tale of woe, thanks to you too. Zush and Kasia still got walked and by using my head, we are hopefully going back down to normal.

Stay tuned.

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Columbo 

I finally figured out why I like Law and Order Criminal Intent.

Columbo!

Part of the NBC Sunday night mysteries in the early seventies, the Columbo series, starring Peter Falk, later was picked up by ABC for a bit, and then was cancelled.

We just sat and watched an episode of Columbo,and Blythe Danner was one of the stars of the episode.For anyone not familiar with her, she is now known for her osteoporosis commercials and being Gwyneth Paltrow’s mother.

Anyway, the similarities between Columbo and Law and Order Criminal Intent are what struck me. The nuances in the plots are enough to make anyone’s grey cells work. Good story line, excellent acting…they just don’t make them like that anymore.

  

Happy Birthday Guys 

Today, my brother Bob turns 65. I can’t believe my sweet Baboo is 65.I can never be half the person he is, and he is the best.

Tomorrow my Daddy would be 95. He passed when he was 77. I miss him every day.

I told Bob today I love him. I talk to my Dad every day. I hold them both tight in my heart. 

Happy birthday- you both are always in my heart.And I miss you too, Mom.

  

Hard time of the year.

As much as I love October, there are some strong memories tied into the month that are now under the realm of being bittersweet.

My oldest brother turned 68 this past Sunday.My brother in the city turns 65 this Saturday, and my Dad would have been 95 on the next day.

The thought brings a lump in my throat, as things can never be as they once were. My Mom would be in the kitchen,making her 1-2-3-4 cake, We all gathered around the dining room table and sang in Polish and English Happy Birthday. We would have pumpkins in the house and mums all through the house.

Good times.

All I can do now is pray for Daddy in heaven on his birthday and send cards to my brothers,

And finally I wrap up in my heart the memories of those good times, and how blessed I was to be there for them.

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Fall…and I don’t mean Autumn.

I really had been doing well. I have been working on dropping weight, walking,eating healthier,and yet despite this, I fell twice this past week.

Granted, I am smaller than what I had been, but I have been wearing my sketchers which hug my feet.Either I am walking distracted, or just catching my toes in high cement cracks between grass, but no matter what, I am hurting.

I made my 10,000 steps yesterday, and thanks to a copper fit back brace, I might be doing a little better today. Falling at 55 is rough, and you can bet I am going to try to beat this!

  

Waiting

Is there anything worse than waiting?

Oh sure, as an adult you wait patiently because that is how you are brought up to conform to society. As a child, you “can’t wait” for the last day of school, Christmas vacation,summer…you catch my drift?

Zosia had her second blood work done today and the waiting is rough.It brings my mind back to me waiting for various things throughout my life to date.The mind just keeps going, thinking of all possible scenarios and you wonder about the prayers you sent up.

I know no one ever said it would be easy.

Sometimes I wish they would have.

  

Inspiring and Hopeful

Fortunately, today is my Saturday.

The girls and I have cut our walk short to watch Pope Francis at the White House.

My buddy Kathy, who fostered Zusher, said maybe I can watch the Pope with Zush and Kasia. Between the prayers I am feverishly working and being electronically near the Pope, well, maybe good things can come.

I am inspired by Pope Francis,in that he is a humble man.I admit I really couldn’t connect with Pope Benedict, and I was fortunate enough to meet Saint John Paul II when he was a cardinal visiting in Doylestown, Pennsylvania in 1965.

Pope Francis’ time in the papacy, during this time of my life, brings me some comfort.It makes me truly feel a little closer to God.
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Hard to go

It’s getting to a point where my job is my job and that’s great.

My baby Zusher isn’t well.

I am trying to see with the first call from the lead vet, and waiting for the information for the second reading of the labs from a Philly vet, in order to take her for her second opinion.
If we get good new, for which I am praying, that would be great. If not and hospice is the term for Zush, I probable will leave the job to savor every day I have with the girls.

It all is in the hand’s of God and his hands on the heads of the vets.

Still praying for the girls….ALWAYS.
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Life really sucks sometimes 

The vet called me this morning with the results of Zusher’s blood work.

The good news is she isn’t diabetic-hah something I could deal with.

Liver enzymes are elevated, calcium is elevated, she may have anal sac cancer and the vet just kept throwing things at me on the phone here at work between my tears.

Prayer and good mojo desperately needed.

Thanks!

  

Clock this Biologically, the Saga Continues….

The new schedule was in my box today.

Talk about the nightmare that won’t die. Once again, the schedule is formatted ala’ maritime format. Once again, discriminating on anyone like me with vision issues. When you think the font can’t get negative, hah….I kept looking through all three levels of my glasses and it was still a struggle.

I don’t know if you can file a statewide complaint: I think I have to look into it. This makes me wish I was a lawyer.

Labor Day

I was blessed for thirty years to work in a job that had a union.

Sure, when you are a kid out of college, you have only what you studied in history and political science classes to supply your basic knowledge, but once you are in the position, what an education you get with it. You learned what previous workers fought for and won for you . The health benefits my Union fought for and won are the reason I won my most serious battle with cancer in the fall of 1993-1994.

Tomorrow is Labor Day. For me it’ll be a day of being thankful for being a lifelong Union member.

  

*Sigh*

There’s nothing like the swift kick of major disappointment, no matter what your age,to really get you low.

Best of intentions, promises, ideas are all good when it comes, but hey…you are left at square one. It wouldn’t hurt so much if you weren’t anticipating it… There is only one way around it. After all, I always read that man plans and God laughs.

just breathe and pray on it…that’s how I roll. Don’t expect anything and you won’t be disappointed.

  

Thirteen

Jim and I were married August 31,and tomorrow is our 13th anniversary.

We were younger, but now we are wiser. We have changed:weight gained, lost, hair changes,friends and family no longer with us,retirement,work,new houses,…life goes on. Zush has hung in with us, and Kasia joined us half way in.

Like any other couple, we have good and bad times, but we are here and the love is stronger than ever.

Happy Anniversary,Baby. 

 

Cribbage

I often heard of the game, but never saw anyone play it…..until today.

When I walk my lunch half-hour, I walk the sky-walk.as it is the best way for me to rack up a couple thousand fit bit steps. Today, I came upon two older gentlemen in the area, a deck of cards, a container of wintergreen lifesavers, and a cribbage board. They were two of the sweetest guys, and the one reminded me of Dad a little.

I finished my walk with a spring in my step: it was nice to see guys having laughs and fun.

God bless ’em!

The picture below shows the skywalk to the left.

  

Thursday, er,Saturday night

So we lost our pal, Lola; her family came to bring her back home and the house is echoing from one less set of four paws padding around.

Now comes the part where we get back to normal, or at least try to get back to normal. I wasted an hour of my life fighting with Verizon.Yup, that’s kind of back to normal. Walking Zush and Kasia around for a bit, yup. kind of normal.Trying to figure out what I need to get done tomorrow, another stab at normalcy.Sadness at the fact that my weekend is half over, yes that is normal.

There is something to the concept of threading water to get through a month: I need to master it quickly

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Bittersweet 

Here are my friends Lola and Zush, or should I say they are friends.Kasia is their friend too, but she is just not in this shot. We have Lola stay with us for two weeks and she due to leave us tomorrow.

We were blessed to have Lola’s company for two weeks. As Zush is 13, Lola is 12 and they have been buds forever. I am teary writing this, knowing I am blessed to have the memories forever in my heart

Old souls are the best, and these two are two of the sweetest I know. I am blessed to share this time with them.

    
 

Meeting of the Minds

I had gotten a schedule from work dated July 6th. It mapped out in the smallest of type, the schedule of work through the 22nd of August.

If you remember my complaint on an earlier blog, you needed a magnifying glass to decipher the schedule, and once I did, and had Jim double-check it for me, I wrote it on my calendar. I figured it’s all good, right? I’ll know my hours and when I am due in.

Today in work I saw a NEW schedule was posted and it went just up to Labor Day. It was a good thing that I came across it, as my scheduled time in changed a few times.There really was no logic to it, and now I am going to have to talk to a boss tomorrow to figure out what is going on.

I realize they have been doing for a long time, and I do know I am no rocket scientist, but to me, there has got to be a more simple way to help the over 50 part of the staff decipher the schedule.

Happy Friday, er, Tuesday…

One of the offshoots of being a low person on the totem pole is your weekend. Say good-bye to your Saturday, Sunday, or even Friday….that part of your life is gone.

Now my weekend is Wednesday and Thursday.In the old days, as when I worked at the National Park Service, when I had Tuesday and Wednesday weekends, and later Wednesday and Thursday weekends, you go to go to banks with no lines, shop at the grocery stores quickly with no one holding you back…you catch my drift.

In my new post-retirement life,well, even if I were able to, I have no energy to do chores on the days off. Bad enough I do laundry during the week, and will clean the house tomorrow, but hey, food shopping? Jeez, I need a nap first.

I was thinking as I was walking the girls after work today, I should be skipping down the street , swinging leashes back and forth in celebration of my weekend.

Hell, I’m just too tired.

Scheduling

It’s all scheduling.

In my new job, there are a lot of co-workers in different positions. Folks work on boats, in stores,on phones, at counters,you know-all over.People have to be scheduled to work hours, so, correspondingly,someone must pull together a schedule.

I received my first new job schedule, you know, not a “welcome to the team”schedule.It is on a legal sheet of paper, in spreadsheet form.This is the schedule for my unit where I work.The trouble for me is the spreadsheet.I might have been able to figure this out when I was 30 years younger,and more importantly,NOT WEARING TRI-FOCALS.The font on this sheet has to be maybe a 4 or 6?

Talk about feeling your age.

Back in the Trenches

Tomorrow I go back to work.

Seriously.

I’ll be with the ferry, and it would appear, as it is busy season, that I’ll be working **choking** full-time, at least for a couple of weeks.

**Wondering where my retirement went**

It is a good spot to be at, as opposed to where I recently was at, so I am not really concerned regarding that.I am wondering how my poor old body will handle getting up at 5:30 so the girls can get a good walk, work a full day, come home and figure out what’s for dinner, walk the girls again, shower and get to bed.

I really haven’t had to do that full-time since January 2nd.

I’ll be by the water, which, in my book, is the best place to be.The flip side is that my girls will be missing me, as I them, while I am not here.With Zush at the tender age of 13, I know every moment I have with her is precious, so I just am going to have to triple up with her when I am home.

Here’s hoping for a good run.

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I’d pay an arm and a leg.

If you have been a reader of this blog for a while, you know I have two fur girls, both golden retriever mixes.

Between walking them and the bakery job, I probably have managed to pinch a nerve in my neck. Bad enough being in the get up to use the bathroom years,now,in addition to that, I am shaking my arms down to get circulation back in there.

Seriously?

I need this?

A friend of mine who is a licensed practical nurse advised me to take some anti-inflammatory medicine and to ice my neck down.I am so desperate I am going to give it a shot.

Whoever said ” Old age is not for sissies.”, well, they KNEW what they are talking about.

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Life’s Short

The joke is where we have moved to, well, let’s just say I’m one of the youngest people here, full-time wise.

A good percentage of the residents come down for the summer, or part of it. A neighbor of our that we would have lived immediately next to, if we bought the first house, lives in Collegeville. He has been coming down here for ten years or so. He is married and has two adopted and one biological tumor.His age is somewhere between mine(55) and Jim’s(60).

He came down here over the weekend with one of our neighbors and his family.

He wants to die here at his house here.

He has a mid-brain tumor.

For those of you who know me personally, or have been reading the blog for a while, you’ll recall I lost my niece, Alexandra, to a mid-brain tumor.She died at 18.

What flashbacks this has brought back to me, my neighbor’s illness.A brain tumor is definitely NOT how you want to go out. It is a fight, a hard fight.

My neighbor and I were walking past his house and one of the neighbors came out and said he isn’t expected to last the night: hospice is there with them.

We mourn the man, but rejoice that his suffering will be done. I am happy he actually hung in through the car ride to get down here, but I know this was his final wish.

Kiss or hug someone you know after you read this. Do it for me.

Life is too damn short.

How old am I?

There is nothing like working with “kids” to make you feel old. By kids I mean 15-20 years olds. The fact that I just typed that phrase acknowledging that age as “kids” made me feel even older.

**sigh**

I worked the bakery today from 12 until 5.

Until 2 PM I worked with folks who were over 21. No problem there.Then the magic hour of 2 came.
It was me and kids: 4 people from 15 to 20 years old. I kept my mouth shut, did my job, and let the entertainment envelope me.The stories I heard from these folks would normally come out of the mouth of a 60-year-old. How did these folks learn about these things at this age?

I am so glad I am my age;having experienced what I did WHEN I did.Perhaps I am a tad jealous of the youngsters, but in my heart I know I’d never want to be that age again.

See ya, Dave!

Tonight is David Letterman’s last show on the air.

I will miss him.

I started with Johnny Carson in 1976, when I had to stay up late and work on things for my genetics class.I morphed into Dave when he followed Johnny and even had tickets to his 15th Anniversary show in New York. I went up by train and had a blast.Afterward, I’d catch him when he went to CBS.

Sure, there are pretenders to the throne,such as Carson Daly and Jimmy Fallon among others.They have their own spin on things, but David Letterman was truly unique.I always enjoyed his humor, his guests, Paul Shaffer,in fact the whole show rocked, in my humble opinion.

I know there are folks, such as my younger nephews, who really missed Dave’s time on television and didn’t appreciate his humor.For me, though, it’s another block of my life falling by the wayside.I will remember him and the show and smile.

Godspeed, Dave!

Can You See Me Now?( With apologies to Verizon)

There is nothing, I think, worse that having vision deteriorate with age.

Well, strike that. I can thing of a ton of stuff that is worse, but on a daily basis, realizing your vision isn’t what it used to be, well, it’s annoying.

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I am no seamstress: never was, never will be. I did take a home economics class in high school and between that, Mom and Aunt Jennie, I managed to pick some things up. One of them was to sew and/or repair things with a needle and thread…until I could no longer gear up patience to thread a needle. I wear tri-focals.I wear them for distance, nearness and computer.As I got older, the needles I found to fix things with had the smallest of holes. I finally found,in all places,a Wal-Mart, that Singer had come out with large eye needles. I had chuckled when I found them, because I assumed that it reflected the greying of America.

Look out world: I am ready to become a stitching fool!

Hurting

I would have thought that dropping weight and walking an average of 12,000 steps a day would prepare me for returning to work.

What I didn’t fathom was that they were going to train me as a cashier, which translates that you are a veal.You are allowed a 15 minute break as a part-time worker.That’s it.If you won’t to have water with you at the register, you need a doctor’s note…A DOCTOR’S NOTE. I was at least walking a little around the aisle of the register, so it wasn’t like I was standing in one spot.My legs feel like they were around 25 pounds a leg.Solid dead weight.They hurt. I am training with young kids.They are 19 years old, without a care of the world.

So it’s going to be a rub down your legs down kind of night.

Stay tuned.

Dropping in

So today was Mother’s day.

We went to the city to spend time with Jim’s 96-year-old Mom. She is wonderful and was really in great spirits while we were there.

Then we went to see my Mom and Babcis.

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This gravestone marker always served as our guide where my Mom’s Mom, or my Babci was buried nearby. My parents are buried by my Dad’s Mom, or my other Babci. There is something surreal as you get older and have no one left to see: everyone has left you behind.Sure, I get exercise getting to the graves, and since we travel a while to get there, I walk the girls on the road so we can get some steps in.But still, you become enveloped in loss. Not only do you realize your immediate family is gone but you recognize names on the gravestones around you. If you don’t realize that you ARE the adult now and the circle of life.

It was still something of a comfort to be at my Mom’s grave, and not just talking and praying for her from a distance. I believe she is always with me.

No Fool like an Old Fool

I started my new job today.

I sat through training in my local Acme Markets with 4 19-22 years olds.One of them was the trainer.

I could feel the gray hair popping out, even though I just had my roots done yesterday.

I sat around the table with people who were born while I was still in the city, while I was single and they were younger than my nephews.It was really something.I normally don’t let my age bother me, but for those of you that know my,I actually kept my mouth shut, because I remember that age. No one likes to hear the words of an old head.

What was even more surreal for me was I retired from a full-time job with good pay and benefits and after three months, where am I? Back at work for minimum wage, part-time, paying union dues again, and no promise of continuity. My husband says to me why don’t I quit? I said I am not a quitter.

We’ll see what happens.

It’s all mental…

…you know, that link between mind and body?

Coincidence or not, I got hit with a really lousy GI bug late Tuesday night.My Wednesday was lost to Gatorade and ginger ale.I managed to get a little bit of wonton soup in me and my gut is still holding out for normal as of Thursday afternoon.

This Saturday, I am falling off the retirement bandwagon and starting a part-time position in a local supermarket. Do I want to? No, not really. Pretty sad that someone of my age, along with people older than me, need something to add to a cushion to questionable health care costs coming down the way.Don’t get me wrong. It is a part-time position, and I know I am fortunate to be offered it.What is really hard is being out again. After thirty years of dealing with daily bull, I find myself back at square one. It is not a prospect that makes my heart happy. It also is stealing precious time away from my girls, but I can always try to make that up to them the best that I can.

Hopefully, my body will mend itself and my mind will get a little straighter and things will get going.I don’t have to pretend I like it, but hey, it’s what has to be done.

Road Trip continued…

Going up to the big city tomorrow to help celebrate my cousin’s 50th wedding anniversary.

What’s even more bizarre is I remember when I was a kid and she came home from the Peace Corps. and was at my grandmother’s house and told her she got married.They say you remember things from your childhood as you get older and things from yesterday you forget.

Scary, and yes, thank God, I’m old enough to be scared by that thought.

New kids on the block

While out walking the girls today, we came across two young girls who were 9 years old.

The one girl, Isabelle, the girls and I had met before during the winters’ snow.Her friend Lily was with her.They both loved Zush, who went over to them and sat on their feet and the other girl’s leg.Kasia,as usual, was skittish and kept her distance.They had recognized us as we walked over and we stopped on the way back to talk.They talked to me about so many different things that my head was spinning.

I, thanks to my nephews, knew Minecraft,and the other computer games the girls were telling me about.They talked about haunted dolls and burying dolls by the swamp,Nine year old girls? More like 30 year olds, I felt,after talking to them.I think I was still playing school and Barbies when I was nine.

It was a pleasant experience talking to the girls, if not an education.If anyone was the old soul in the conversation, it was the two of them.It made me miss my childhood for a fleeting moment.

To Market, to market….

….no, I am not talking about the old children’s nursery rhyme.

When I was in the city, I made my pin-money by participating in market research for two different firms. Obviously,I am no longer in the big city, but did a little happy dance this afternoon. Evidently, I responded to an email from them and qualified for a study to be done on line.I thought that was really awesome: on-line.All the fun of being in the big city without the hassle.

It so funny when I stop to reflect back on what I have participated in.What’s even funnier is when I watch television and see ads for products I helped develop.Back in the meeting, we saw pictures of concepts and suggested changes and viola’! The changes are in the commercials! As I have gotten older, the products I qualify for have changed, and I laugh.Sure there are some food products still thrown my way, but once you’re retired, I guess it opens up a whole new world of stuff.

One thing that she asked me tonight, I guess to make sure I’d be a good contributor to the study is I had to tell her 5 out of the box ways to use a stapler.

Thank God the liberal artist still has got it!

Up and Down

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This merry-go-round horse has gone up and down like emotions today.

We went to the physician’s office this morning and there was a really weird minute where I realized I was the youngest person on the patient side of the office.Multiply that by angst I felt when the physician, when talking to me,let me know that I am now” of that age” and I needed an EKG.

“Of that age”…? Oh, yeah, I am retired for now.

I went on a job interview this afternoon and for the first time in thirty years, I remembered the jitters of worrying if I’d get a job.Then I had the interview and it was, like,really? Do I need this at my age? They promised to get back to me either way by the end of this week.

I just want to pull on that comfortable sweater called “retirement” and keep it on for now.

Winter Storm OVER

I guess the Weather Channel thinks they have almighty power over the National Weather Service and have decided to name all the winter storms.

Seriously?

And tonight’s storm due to hit here is named Thor? What’s more depressing?The fact it’s March 4th and all the storms have hit ALL THE WAY down to”T”? Or is it more depressing that we have managed to make it through and are still here to see yet ANOTHER storm? Would it be the fact that the Weather Channel figures it’s a cute marketing tool to name those storms.

Dear Weather Channel,

I am 55 years old and have gone through enough storms.I know there will be more to come.Do you have to be cute with the winter storms? Seriously? Just tell us what’s up,ok? Unless you are coming to shovel or walk the girls in the ice, just the facts, ok?

A disgusted viewer who doesn’t live in Boston.

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Heartbeat

It’s St. Valentine’s Day.

I know a lot of single friends and there are all sorts of witty sayings going around on Facebook to either jab at those without a mate, or to commiserate with them.I feel for single folks, as I was one for 42 years and do remember what it is like.

For the past 15 years, I have been blessed to have Jim in my life.It was the classic 42 year-old spinster and the 48 year-old bachelor and yet here we are, almost 13 years later in our marriage, and it is safe to say that Jim still makes my heart skip a beat.

It’s funny,because I went to see 50 Shades of Grey with my neighbor last night, as Jim deemed it a chick thing.Yet for all the images conjured up by the movie,my best friend, lover and husband is indeed the one who makes my heart still skip a beat.We haven’t gone through children, only fur kids which can be up there with human children,deaths of parents,selling houses, moving, buying houses,jobs,retirement,illnesses, and, well, you catch my drift.We are on the road to hopefully growing old together,hoping that we are that blessed to accomplish that.

If you are reading this and single,I would tell you to hang in there if you are still looking, or good for you if you are comfortable in your current situation.If you are married like me, I hope you had a marvelous St.Valentine’s day.Savor love all 365 days a year, not just today.If you have lost your love one,cherish their memory!

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Nothing like a good night sleep…if only.

Once you get over a certain age and female, they warn you about over active bladder.

Sure, you think, no problem: I can handle this.

Hah.

Coffee? Tea? Not after 2 in the afternoon or else you’ll be up walking to the bathroom most of the night. Oh yeah, and,the doctor has decided that you need a water pill?If you get two solid hours of sleep a night, you’re fortunate.OK, let’s see if you accidentally “forget” to take your medicine,you’ll sleep, but pay the price tomorrow.

Golden years,right?What an adventure.

Moon over Racetrack

I titled this post after walking up the street from my neighbor and took a quick shot on the phone.

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It seemed appropriate that the moon illuminated the house, as today marks one month that I am officially retired.Shedding light on a new life as this moon is on the house, well, it has been an adventure so far.

It has been fabulous not to deal with the expressway, the buses, the fellow commuters,..I could go on and on. I miss some of the folks that I worked with, and the nice part is, they know who they are.I am sure there are just as many folks who couldn’t give a hoot that I am gone, or even realize that I am gone. Uh, news flash,folks…who cares? I don’t.

Being in a new stage of life gives you new appreciation of age and of time.When you need to do things through the day, you wonder however did you accomplish things when you worked.People would constantly ask me if I was bored.Gee, when I get a free minute I’ll let you know.Age comes into play when you actually realize some places start giving senior citizen discounts at 55.Not too shabby.

The moon is my friend. It has given me light on retirement, and hopefully it will continue to guide my way.

Superbowl Chill

One of the things that I always enjoyed in the Superbowl were the commercials. I mean, being from Philadelphia, I only remember my Eagles going once to the Superbowl, so basically I had no true root for any other team.

I read and then watched the one commercial that was making the rounds through Social Media this year: it was the commercial about “pizza delivery”.

The premise is the woman on the phone with 911 is making that she is calling for pizza, when in reality she is calling #911 trying to get help: obviously she is in an abusive domestic situation.

Superbowl is a few years younger than I am,yet when I saw this commercial, I thought how many women lost their lives to domestic abuse during the span of the Superbowl existence.How many women are still in an abusive domestic situation.Would this commercial help someone? I hope so.In light on the NFL players going through certain domestic issues this past season,I assume this is their way of trying to put another band-aid on the situation that came to light.

Whatever the case is,I am hoping that this commercial will get some folks to escape their situation and be brave.Here’s hoping they live to leave in one piece!

Penndot-time of my life never to get back

One of the pitfalls of moving to another state was to update my prior state ID.

**Sigh**

We left Undisclosed this morning to go up to the city to get the mandatory new picture I needed to update my ID. We had a zillion things to do but because the state agency that handles this is only open until 4PM, we made the picture a priority.

There was the thorn in my day.I knew I was in trouble when we walked in and they were calling number 23 and I was number 53.

**Sigh**

The average age of the two people manning the stations was 75. Now that I am retired, I have to watch about bad-mouthing anyone older than me who works, because there but for the grace of God go I. But the old man who worked one of the stations was really, really, really slow.

After an hour and one half, I managed to escape.My only consolation is that the next time I do this, it’ll be, hopefully, in my new, adopted home state, and hopefully, things might run a bit smoother.

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