Forty-two.
We were married at 7 and 5, I guess.
Time really does fly when you are having fun.
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Bucket list? I don't need no stinking bucket list.
July 20, 2012
I am sitting in my camp chair in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, at a little over 9000 ft. above sea level, perfect temperature (63?), partly cloudy deep blue sky, surrounded by ponderosa pine, aspen, fir and spruce, listening to the calls of countless birds, watching grey squirrels scamper hither and yon, chipmunks darting yon and hither, hummingbirds fighting over the two feeders hanging from the nearest tree, and I pause from reading a good book and think "it doesn't get any better than this."
It does, of course, get better. It has been better, and will be better again. But what if it doesn't? What if I die right here, right now?
When I was a teenager, Peggy Lee had a hit song called "Is That All There Is?" The lyrics suggested disappointment at the end of life from not having expectations met.
My motto is more along the lines of Circle K convenience stores current tag line "What else do you need?"
Nothing.
I do not need anything else.
If I die at this moment, what will I regret not having done? What bargain will I want to make with God?
"Don't take me now, I still have to X."
Nothing.
Oh, there are things I want to do, places I want to go, people I want to see. "Don't take me now, I am having too much fun."
I grew up in a stable family situation. Neither rich nor poor. Whatever I didn't have or didn't do because we were perhaps more poor than rich, or because we lived in the sticks, I didn't and still don't miss.
I got to attend college. I was fortunate to meet Peggie, my one true love, and somehow convinced her to share the rest of my life with me. Score!
We raised two fantastic, healthy children who are now fantastic adults.
In the course of time passing I crossed both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. I rode an elephant. I swam with sea lions. I stared into the eyes of a timber wolf. I got waaay too close to a grizzly bear. I observed a bull moose placidly grazing belly deep in a beaver pond while the beavers busily repaired their dam. I enticed a hummingbird to land on my finger to lap at the sugar water from the cup in my hand. I walked on a glacier. I survived a massive mosquito attack at the Arctic Circle. I snorkeled and climbed an active volcano in Hawaii. I positively influenced the lives of hundreds of students and was positively influenced in return.
I held my newborn granddaughter in my arms.
"Is that all there is to life?"
No.
But, what else do I need?
I am sitting in my camp chair in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, at a little over 9000 ft. above sea level, perfect temperature (63?), partly cloudy deep blue sky, surrounded by ponderosa pine, aspen, fir and spruce, listening to the calls of countless birds, watching grey squirrels scamper hither and yon, chipmunks darting yon and hither, hummingbirds fighting over the two feeders hanging from the nearest tree, and I pause from reading a good book and think "it doesn't get any better than this."
It does, of course, get better. It has been better, and will be better again. But what if it doesn't? What if I die right here, right now?
When I was a teenager, Peggy Lee had a hit song called "Is That All There Is?" The lyrics suggested disappointment at the end of life from not having expectations met.
My motto is more along the lines of Circle K convenience stores current tag line "What else do you need?"
Nothing.
I do not need anything else.
If I die at this moment, what will I regret not having done? What bargain will I want to make with God?
"Don't take me now, I still have to X."
Nothing.
Oh, there are things I want to do, places I want to go, people I want to see. "Don't take me now, I am having too much fun."
I grew up in a stable family situation. Neither rich nor poor. Whatever I didn't have or didn't do because we were perhaps more poor than rich, or because we lived in the sticks, I didn't and still don't miss.
I got to attend college. I was fortunate to meet Peggie, my one true love, and somehow convinced her to share the rest of my life with me. Score!
We raised two fantastic, healthy children who are now fantastic adults.
In the course of time passing I crossed both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. I rode an elephant. I swam with sea lions. I stared into the eyes of a timber wolf. I got waaay too close to a grizzly bear. I observed a bull moose placidly grazing belly deep in a beaver pond while the beavers busily repaired their dam. I enticed a hummingbird to land on my finger to lap at the sugar water from the cup in my hand. I walked on a glacier. I survived a massive mosquito attack at the Arctic Circle. I snorkeled and climbed an active volcano in Hawaii. I positively influenced the lives of hundreds of students and was positively influenced in return.
I held my newborn granddaughter in my arms.
"Is that all there is to life?"
No.
But, what else do I need?
Monday, July 9, 2012
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Happy Birthday, Margie.
Hope you all have a good time at K-T. We will not be able to join you this time. We are preparing for our own time in the cool high country. If all goes as planned (and it never does) we will start packing the trailer today, and leave town on Monday.
While we hope you don't get rain on your picnic, we hope for afternoon rains on our campsite to keep things cool and reduce fire danger.
While we hope you don't get rain on your picnic, we hope for afternoon rains on our campsite to keep things cool and reduce fire danger.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Happy Birthday, USA
Well, let's admit it. This day really is a celebration of the conception of the new nation, not the actual birth.
Good thing we don't celebrate our own birthdays that way, we'd all be nine months older. And who needs that?
We are 15-20 degrees cooler today, thanks to the cloud cover and the potential for rain. Lightning and thunder might compete with fireworks this evening, and rain might dampen the whole event.
The Diamondbacks lost the game we went to see, but we had a good time, anyway. Our new truck is a joy to drive and to ride in on the interstate. We parked and took the light rail from Tempe to downtown Phoenix. That is a great way to get across town. Cheap and stress-free. And the station is closer to the ballpark than any of the parking lots, so less walking in the Phoenix heat. Anything you can do less of in Phoenix, is a good thing.
Good thing we don't celebrate our own birthdays that way, we'd all be nine months older. And who needs that?
We are 15-20 degrees cooler today, thanks to the cloud cover and the potential for rain. Lightning and thunder might compete with fireworks this evening, and rain might dampen the whole event.
The Diamondbacks lost the game we went to see, but we had a good time, anyway. Our new truck is a joy to drive and to ride in on the interstate. We parked and took the light rail from Tempe to downtown Phoenix. That is a great way to get across town. Cheap and stress-free. And the station is closer to the ballpark than any of the parking lots, so less walking in the Phoenix heat. Anything you can do less of in Phoenix, is a good thing.
Monday, July 2, 2012
Happy Birthday, Dick.
Dick always gets to go first when we play "Let's get older!" He sets off the spate of summer birthdays for his siblings, which ends with mine on August 16th. You can mark that on your calendars.
For Dick's birthday this year we are going to a Diamondbacks' game. Not with Dick. You know, just sayin'.
For Dick's birthday this year we are going to a Diamondbacks' game. Not with Dick. You know, just sayin'.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Philosophy 400
What is the nature of retirement?
Last night, as we were preparing for bed, Peggie said it had occurred to her that we were now in our longest period of not working, since retirement. When you think about it, it means we are also in our longest period of not working since we started working. But we started working back in the days before digital record keeping, so there is no way to really know how long that's been. Suffice it to say we both started working before we were married, so it has been longer than forever. If you count school as work for kids, then really, we have almost no memory of life before work.
But what about the original observation?
The first year following retirement, we were both back at work for the school district throughout that school year. Ditto, the year after that. Followed by the first of three seasons in Skagway, during which Peggie worked, and I got paid to have fun (at work).
Now, here it is July 1st and we have not worked since last September. It has been nine months! And counting.
So now, one answer is the "I Choose to Work Club". Aimee Smythe founded the organization following her retirement. It means that those jobs you take, whether contracted, or substituting, or working retail, or driving, or whatever, are totally voluntary. And that means you can do it or not. You can quit any time. You can do it again, or not. You can skip a season. You don't have to work. As a retiree, you get paid anyway.
Since we got home in October, we have been doing just what we want to do. Day by day. Hour by hour. Minute by minute. If at any time we don't want to do what we are doing, we are free to do something else.
So maybe that is it. Retirement is a paid vacation with no end date. Return to work? If you choose to. Find new work? If you choose to. Get paid just because you wake up still breathing? Good choice.
Last night, as we were preparing for bed, Peggie said it had occurred to her that we were now in our longest period of not working, since retirement. When you think about it, it means we are also in our longest period of not working since we started working. But we started working back in the days before digital record keeping, so there is no way to really know how long that's been. Suffice it to say we both started working before we were married, so it has been longer than forever. If you count school as work for kids, then really, we have almost no memory of life before work.
But what about the original observation?
The first year following retirement, we were both back at work for the school district throughout that school year. Ditto, the year after that. Followed by the first of three seasons in Skagway, during which Peggie worked, and I got paid to have fun (at work).
Now, here it is July 1st and we have not worked since last September. It has been nine months! And counting.
So now, one answer is the "I Choose to Work Club". Aimee Smythe founded the organization following her retirement. It means that those jobs you take, whether contracted, or substituting, or working retail, or driving, or whatever, are totally voluntary. And that means you can do it or not. You can quit any time. You can do it again, or not. You can skip a season. You don't have to work. As a retiree, you get paid anyway.
Since we got home in October, we have been doing just what we want to do. Day by day. Hour by hour. Minute by minute. If at any time we don't want to do what we are doing, we are free to do something else.
So maybe that is it. Retirement is a paid vacation with no end date. Return to work? If you choose to. Find new work? If you choose to. Get paid just because you wake up still breathing? Good choice.
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