Retiring Just In Time

(Another Saturday post by Lew. Enjoy! ~ Tracy)

This is my last week of part-time work. I do very little while I am there. Basically I act like Siri. My successor will ask me a question, I will help him, and then I go back into sleep mode. Three more days of this is about all I can stand.

Yesterday, on my day off, I drove Tracy to work, went grocery shopping, did some vacuuming, did three loads of laundry, helped my brother set up a Craigslist account, exercised, picked Tracy up and then we went out to dinner. Last night I was exhausted.

It’s a good thing I’m retiring. I don’t have time to work.

A Couple of Calm Cats

A busy and good week at work has come to an end.

I plan on relaxing for the next couple days. I may start pulling my tax information together, but I find that to be fun.

Two of our household residents are currently displaying the ultimate relaxation technique. I will be following their example shortly!

Dad 290: Peyton, I Am On Your Side

(Update on our window blinds: Lew was able to fix them! And I remembered to wear earrings today. Enjoy Dad's post!  ~  Tracy)

Derf Here! Enjoying some not-so-wintry weather at the moment. Our snow cover is about gone and we reached 47 degrees yesterday. Today we made the 30s. May get a dusting tomorrow, but the next week looks like temps in the 40s. Good old February.

I must admit I forgot to write my blog post until Tracy arrived home a little after 6:00 P.M. It will be short!

Well, we all survived the Patriots' poor play against Peyton's Broncos. The Broncos' defense was superb. Great job, Wade Phillips (defensive coordinator). It looks like Brady will have to wait until next year. Go, Broncos and Peyton. My head says Carolina but my heart wants Peyton. Probably his swan song!

Hope sister Deb is enjoying her cruise this week. Hope no sickness on the high seas.

I am done now, sooo....

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

Forgot Earrings

We have a window in our bedroom closet. We keep the window blinds shut to keep the sun from fading our clothes.

This morning I tried to adjust the blinds and ... well ... the blinds became a hanging mess. Lew took them down so that the kitties would not become entangled in them.

We haven't had the opportunity to replace anything yet, so Lew came up with a temporary solution (see below). I am so proud of his ingenuity.

My morning was "thrown off" from the window fiasco. And that is why I forgot to wear earrings to work today.

A New and Improved Wake-Up Call

I have a terrible time hauling my body out of bed in the morning.

For several years, I have used the "radio" function on my alarm clock to wake up by. The problem with that is I keep wanting to hear one song after another. (We listen to a station that plays a lot of classic rock.)

This past weekend I decided to make a change.

I now use the "iPod" function and wake up to "'O Sole Mio" by Il Volo. I listen to all three minutes and 37 seconds of the song, and then I get up out of bed.

I have had three successful mornings in a row. I've had time to exercise, read a little bit, and get to work on time (sort of).

Lew asked me how I decided on that particular song, and I didn't really know. But I guess it appealed to me because it's not abrupt (which is why I don't use a buzzer alarm). And it does seem like a good first-thing-in-the-morning song; it's easy to listen to and has nice harmonies. And because it's not in English, I don't really sing along.... Not yet anyway!

Peyton Place

I went back and forth about whether I wanted to write about the Patriots/Broncos game that was played yesterday.

I posted the following on Facebook shortly after the game ended:

Yes... I wanted the Patriots. But I will now be rooting for the Broncos. Go, Peyton! I hope you win.

The home field advantage really matters when these two teams play each other. If yesterday's game was played in Foxborough, then the outcome would have been different.

The silver lining:  The Super Bowl will be much less stressful to watch!

Lew New Shoe

(Today's post is written by my sweetie, Lew. Enjoy! ~ Tracy)

 

We have Amazon Prime. It is very convenient…perhaps too much so? Anything that I think I might need is just a few keystrokes away.

 

I just told Tracy that I want to buy another pair of everyday-wear winter shoes. The ones I have now are fine, but I have had them for about 3 or 4 years and I don’t like them anymore.

 

So what I am wondering is if it wasn’t so easy to buy things like this, would I bother to go shopping for them or would I just make do? How much more money do I spend in a year with Amazon as opposed to actually going out to make a purchase which I find to be a pain?

 

I will say, however, that I have been pleased with almost everything that I have purchased from Amazon. All the choices and reviews make it easy. Tracy purchases more than I so I expect we will continue until we run out of money or enroll in a 12-step program.

 

Now I’m going to log in and buy my shoes.

Want To Dance

I went to the Maine State Ballet tonight to see the troupe's annual tap and jazz production.

It was so much fun, and I wanted to be on stage performing with them!

Is it too late for me to have a career in dance? Or at least have it as a hobby?

My joints may not be able to take it. I was really stiff just getting out of the car tonight, so I'm not sure how I would feel after attempting a pirouette.

Plus I would probably have to give up Kit Kats.

My dream is slowly fading....

Dad 289: By the Numbers (8-10, 42-17, 4, 20-20)

(Let's go, Patriots! Enjoy Dad's post! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Another very cold sunny day here in the Northeast. Experts tell us there will be an east coast storm that will not make it to us. No snow in the forecast for the next 8 to 10 days. We'll see.

 

It seems that this area is awaiting a football game Sunday in Denver. Probably the last duel between two of the finest quarterbacks to ever play the game. Let us hope the game goes to the Patriots. Go, Pats. My prediction is the Pats by two touchdowns. Sports Illustrated has it at 42-17 for the Patriots. Denver is not favorable to Brady. Stay tuned.

 

Well, I have plowed four times this year. No major snowstorms. My front lawn is plowed. My back lawn is plowed. Hope we see no more snow this year. (Never happen.)

 

Spouse seems to be getting stronger as her therapists visit us throughout the week. We're working on it. Spouse finally got her new reading glasses. Her cataracts are gone and she now sees 20-20. Prayers are still welcome.

 

I am done for today, sooo....

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

A New Nation

Those of us in the Northeast are familiar with Red Sox Nation. The Red Sox "travel well" and are very popular across the entire country.

I suppose there are other teams that use the moniker of "Nation" — for example, maybe there is a Dodgers Nation or Marlins Nation.

Today I decided to start a new Nation by the name of Hiber.... I really think it could catch on.

Wake me up after the snow goes.... 

Baby, it's cold outside....

Instead of Coffee

Santa brought Lew a Keurig for Christmas. It happened to be the exact same model that Lew had selected on Amazon.com.  (How about that?)

The machine came with an assortment of coffees and teas.

I have never been a coffee drinker, but I decided to try a couple of the coffees... and then I decided I am not going to become a coffee drinker....  Blech.

However, I have been introduced to the charms of chai latte tea.... Yum.

We have a Keurig at work so I can have my chai latte there, too.

I am very glad that Lew wanted a new coffee maker!

Cute Visitors

Matt, Emily, Eli, and Adam came over after church yesterday for food and football. (Well, maybe just Matt came for the football.)

I took a couple pictures which are too cute to keep to myself.... Love!

Marilyn is helping Eli play "Moosentration" on Tia's iPad.

Adam is already trying to fill Daddy's shoes.

On Retirement

(Lew came through and wrote today's post. I love him. ~ Tracy)

I retired from full time work on 12/31/15 (I will be working part time for about a month to help train my successor).

Human nature being what it is, I am constantly asked “what’s it like being retired”? The answer is, I have no idea…yet.

I have been blessed with a job since I was 17 years old and it’s going to take some time to adjust to this new reality.

Right now I am a bit stressed (yes, stressed) about being non-productive. For the last 30 years I have had jobs with significant responsibility and now, not. Tracy is working which adds to my stress level because of self-imposed guilt.

I knew that it was time for me to retire so I do not have regrets, but now I wonder what is next. We are praying for direction and trusting God.

In the meantime I will take care of the house, do some cooking, exercise and keep our kitties company. They seem to enjoy having me around.

More Than an Hour's Notice

I asked Lew to write my blog post tonight.

 

He wouldn't.

 

"You just can't ask me to write your blog. You have to give me at least an hour to do it!"

 

So tune in tomorrow for a blog post by Lew.

 

I can hardly wait.

Dad 288: Grass, Glasses, and Pats

(I think the dictation program is learning. It typed out "Dorf" when I said "Derf" – the closest it has come so far. Enjoy Dad's post! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! We now have snow on the ground. Had a very rainy storm last week that depleted our snow cover. But another storm (small) covered up the grass again. We are expecting another storm Saturday/Sunday, but just rain. Easier to plow. Plowed twice up to now.

 

Spouse went to the eye doctor today and needs only glasses for reading now. Does not need help for distance. Spouse ordered new reading glasses. Will get them next week.

 

The big football weekend is here. We'll all be watching the Patriots take on Kansas City. It will not be an easy assignment to beat KC. KC has won 11 games in a row. We'll see. GO, PATS!

 

Tracy had to remind me to write this blog when she arrived home after 6:00PM. She also said, "Short." So I'm done.

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

A Text Message Exchange

Received this from Lew:

I sent back:

Their reply:  "Silly Tia!"

A Tentative Victory

I hope I'm not jinxing myself by saying this, but I believe I have won my battle with Windows 10.

I was getting an annoying message every time I started my computer. This message was about a problem that caused my Windows 10 to work not quite right.... and I couldn't even get into some of the troubleshooting settings.

My TurboTax software arrived on Saturday and I decided I had to solve my Windows 10 problem for good.

And wouldn't you know it.... by going to the Microsoft website and looking for the right help screens, I eventually found something that solved my problem.... so far, so good anyway.

Windows 10 now seems to be updating properly and the annoying message has not shown its face since Saturday.

Hooray, me.

Read a Book!

Although I'm not doing a reading challenge this year, I still plan on reading a lot of books.

If you want to see what I've read, please refer to my 2016 Reading List (the link is on the right-hand side of my blog page).

I plan on keeping this list updated as I finish each book, so check it often if you're looking for book ideas. I hope you will find something of interest.

I do encourage you to read a book!

Saturday Stuff

After missing two weeks in a row, we had our Saturday breakfast date with Dick and Carole.

 

We usually try to stop and see Matt, Emily, Eli, and Adam after breakfast. Adam greeted me today with, "We have a play kitchen!"

 

Eli was still in his pajamas. Adam was wearing only a diaper. According to Eli, Adam is more comfortable without clothes on.

 

On our way home, we stopped at Rite Aid and bought some sale items. Got some simple toys for 75% off. What bargains!

 

The ottoman in our living room opens up, so we use it as a toy box. Our new toys are now stored in it, so we are ready for Eli and Adam to come visit! (No play kitchen, though, sorry.)

 

We finally put away our Christmas decorations. We left the pegboard up on the wall and I put some of the not-just-Christmas-themed ornaments on it. John Wayne, Marilyn Monroe, E.T., Ted Williams.... I might as well just share a picture!

 

 

There are some gaps and we need to come up with a framing idea, but we are enjoying our ornament pegboard!

 

The Final Season

Every year Lew and I contemplate whether we want to watch American Idol. It is a rather large time commitment, even with our method of fast-forwarding through a lot of the banter and the commercials.

We decided to watch this year because the show is in its final season. (Why not, right?)

The season premiered this week, and we are in the midst of watching the pertinent parts of the program. By "pertinent" I mean the singing and the judges' post-audition comments.

I think we will get through four hours of programming in about three hours. And the three hours includes a few breaks to take care of laundry and writing this blog post.

Do re mi fa sol la ti do.... Back to the program I go.

Dad 287: New Year Roundup

(Dad has agreed to continue writing his weekly posts in 2016. I really didn't give him a choice. Enjoy Dad's first post of the year! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Enjoying another not-too-cold day this January. A small mixed storm is scheduled for Saturday. A rainy Sunday follows with possible snow next Wednesday. About halfway through January. Time can not go too fast.

 

The following are notes given to me by my proofreader.

 

Zachary now has his permit and is on the road.

 

Kim and Joe are back in Illinois. They are missed.

 

Deb came up to stay with Spouse today while I got a haircut. All went well.

 

Good to have Lew around the house as he settles into retirement. He will be spending part of the upcoming weeks filling in part-time at his old job as they get organized.

 

We now have busy weeks with four visits from the therapists (two from PT; two from OT). Also one day a week a nurse stops by. Hopefully Spouse is on the right track. Keep the prayers coming.

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

The Usefulness of a Cup

We got Chinese food for dinner on New Year's Day. This was in my fortune cookie:

First of all, this does not tell me my "fortune" — not that I believe in that stuff.

Plus, I think this statement can be true or false, depending on the application and/or the point in time:

• If I am looking for a cup to hold some hot tea that I wish to drink, then an empty cup is certainly more useful to me. An empty cup can be filled.
• If I am thirsty and need a cup that already contains a liquid refreshment, then an empty cup is not useful. An empty cup is merely empty.
• If I am using "cup" as a metaphor, then this takes the statement to a whole new level....

My head hurts.

Another Vacation Ended

Kim and Joe left this afternoon to return home to Illinois. Lew drove them to the airport.

I just now got a text from Kim: They are in Baltimore waiting for their next flight.

She also texted this photo of her and Mom.

Thanks for coming, Kim and Joe! We all enjoyed your visit!

Back In the Saddle

Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day....

A bunch of early work-closings, holidays, and personal time off all within a few weeks.

Today:  Back to reality.  This will be a five-day work week, complete with year-end tasks and other exciting things.

But Lew is missing out on all this excitement.

He didn't have to go to work today.

He is retired.

Bliss.

Favorite Gifts: Part 2

Lew and I started the new year yesterday by eating too much, by not exercising, and by staying up too late. (The late night was due to a fun and extremely hysterical time at Debbie's house playing Family Feud.)

 

The day before yesterday – the last day of 2015 and Lew's first day of retirement – was fairly similar (except substitute watching three episodes of "Monk" for playing Family Feud).

 

Lew's first retirement breakfast was pretty special: He ate his favorite Christmas gift! Said gift had been selected by Eli and Adam. They know Grampa well....

 

The box is a keeper.

One of the few times Grampa has read directions.

Yummy! And, yes, Grampa did share with Tia!

Happy New Year!

We resolve to remain best buddies! ~ Marilyn and Jerry