Boss-A-Man Finds the Ott-O-Man

 

How 'bout that doggy?

Our church was finally able to bring back one of our big fundraisers - the New to You sale.  Hundreds of gently used items sold for a song.

Unfortunately, my singing wasn't enough, and I add to add Ten Bucks to come away with this GIGANTIC ottoman that I could put in front of my reading chair.

And, yes. Boss-A-Man was the first of our four dogs to use it.  It's great because he can watch me while I'm on the computer.  I loves my retirement dog!

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I'm not going into great details about what I'm doing or not doing.  I'M RETIRED.  I'M DOING WHAT I WANT TO DO.  I don't want to be judged by the rat race anymore.

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If you must know, one of my big projects, organizing and promoting the sale of almost 9,000 comic books.  Well, I am happy to report that...

I HAVE A BUYER!

There is some work left to get the books shipped, but my first big retirement project is on its way to completion!

It's not a fortune - won't be able to buy a cottage near my grandchild, but it is more money than I would make working part-time in accounting.

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The Supreme Court news continues to dominate.  Remember when I said it wouldn't stop at abortion?  Well, it's happening now.  Some state legislatures are moving to ban contraception, including criminalizing the use of IUDs.  One Arizona Senate candidate even is talking about banning condoms.

The party of limited government wants to be in your bedrooms and in your doctor's office.

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Hope to go to One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, put on by WACT.  Seeing the diverse cast for this show has renewed my enthusiasm to see it.  Everyone in the area should come out for this fantastic production.

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I guess that's enough for this Wednesday.  Got to move on to do whatever it is I'm doing in retirement!

T. M. Strait

May Monday Musings

 "What chu' gonna write about today, Daddy?"

I don't know, Boss-A-Man.  But I need to get back into the habit of writing.  Although I am really enjoying retirement, I still like to feel a sense of accomplishment, and contributing to my blog helps with that.

I would love it if my blog experienced growth, even if it was slow and steady, but after ten years, that doesn't seem to be in the cards.

I am looking forward to seeing my granddaughter in July.  She will be a little over three months old when I see her.  I am unable to share pictures of her, so you will have to trust me.  She is beautiful and growing up healthy and strong.

Other than New York, Alison and I have no major trips planned. Maybe we'll go to St. Augustine in the late Fall.  Something like that.

We're hoping to pay off the house in the next year or so and then concentrate on building up resources to travel more. It looks like our major vacation destination is going to be New York.

I have sent information about my comic collection to a couple of interested parties, but I have not heard back yet.  If I could get that sold for a fair price, it could help accelerate our paying off the house.

I've tried to pay more attention to my health this last month, with mixed results.  My weight is going down, I'm not too worried about my blood pressure, but I'm not making much of a dent in my blood glucose readings.  I'll get tested at a lab in June, and then we'll see whether or not I have to go on some medication.  Right now, odds favor that, but I'm going to try as hard as I can to get it as straightened out as I can.

I have been exercising more, most days with three walks.  I should add strength exercises, but I find them hard to do with my weak concept of coordination and they are boring beyond belief.

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I went out to see a play put on by my friend Kimberly Beck.  Sher directs plays for Southside Christian School, and they put on a play about the Winnie the Pooh characters.  It was charming and entertaining to see young children perform and learn about theater.  

We used to have a group called Flying Dragon Arts Center, a great children's theater, mainly through the efforts of the Jeffords family.  It's where I acted in and later directed the Wizard of Oz.  It gave Benjamin many great acting opportunities, including performing with me. In addition, I co-wrote and co-directed my own musical, The Adventures of Young Robin Hood. It was a significant positive learning experience for my family and many other families in the area.

More than any of us former Flying Dragoneers, Kimberly Beck is doing the most to keep that spirit alive. I applaud and respect her efforts.

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The world continues to spin in dangerous directions.  Russian aggression threatens the stability and peace of the world as a whole.  Ukrainian efforts to stay free have been awe-inspiring, but the capacity of the Russians to keep striking in bloody ways is frightening.

We are also faced with the threat of global warming.  Our weather is becoming more and more destabilized, creating crisis conditions all around the planet. However, we don't have to wait thirty years to see the effects of climate change.  They are happening RIGHT NOW.

Sure, inflation is worldwide and is a problem of 1) demand exceeding a weakened supply chain, 2) other COVID recovery-related issues - seriously, did anyone think we wouldn't have inflation as the economy struggled to return to normal as COVID concerns receded? 3) the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its resultant effect on energy prices - seriously, you don't want to stand up to Russian aggression?  You're not willing to pay a little more at the pump to help that happen?  If not, you really need to shut up about being a patriot or pro-democracy; 4) corporate greed as they use minor cost increases as an excuse to hike major price increases.  Yes, they're increasing prices greater than they need to cover costs. They don't have to worry about competition because most of our businesses are monopolies or oligarchies. 

Given all that, it seems like blaming Biden, and the Democrats for it is a useless and stupid gesture.  But that is actually what's going to happen.  People will turn to an anti-democratic party with exactly ZERO plans to combat inflation.

The cost of America's hissy fit will be - accelerated climate change, complete loss of women's reproductive rights and essential health, yet even more tax breaks for the wealthy and mega-corporations, further reductions in wages and unionization, persecution of the LBGTQ+ community, many public schools becoming Christian academies, the truth no longer being taught in History (Florida is censoring Math texts, fer cryin' out loud!), voter suppression, state election officials overruling the votes in counties with large populations of people of color, reduction of access and affordability of health care, and that's the just the tip of the crapberg!

Inflation?  Odds are that's gonna dissipate over time anyways. If it happens under a Democratic President, he won't get any credit for it.  If it happens under a Republican President - TICKER TAPE PARADES AND JUBILATION!

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Anyhoo, how's your Monday going?

Musingly Yours, 

T. M. Strait

A Season of Renewal

 

Spring has sprung.

It is a season of renewal and hope.

The time of Lent has ended, and we are now in the season of Easter.

There are many worries and concerns.  The Russian invasion of Ukraine is costing many lives and is destabilizing the planet - militarily, politically, and economically.  Putin roars and threatens the world with nuclear annihilation. Inflation is as bad as its been since the early years of Reagan. The authoritarian bug that has bit this country is still wreaking havoc.  COVID-19 still exists.

And yet...

The rallying behind the Ukrainian people has been impressive. Most people understand that inflation is caused by COVID supply chain issues and our commitment to boycott Russia, including their oil.  The history of the 2022 election has not been written yet, and there is always hope that the American people will do the right thing.  And although COVID has not vanished, we have many more tools to tame its effects.

And me?

Alison and I were re-confirmed at church.  Alison went through Inquirer's class to support a friend, and I joined her.  It was inspiring to hear the roots of our faith again and revitalize our commitment to it.

All three of my sons continue to be impressive in their work and personal lives.  

And I am now a GRANDFATHER!  Doug & Paige have a beautiful baby daughter, and we look forward to seeing her in July.

With their seasons just starting out, I can even delude myself into thinking my sports teams - Atlanta United, Detroit Tigers, Michigan Wolverines - will have record-setting seasons. But, please!  Let me dream until reality crushes it!

Retirement is a joy.  It means the world to me to be able to go through an entire tax season without thinking about taxes!  I even took my personal taxes for them to do  -  Daddy don't do taxes no more!

I hope to write more, sell my comic collection, read to people (young and old), maybe someday do a play again, and pursue all the hobbies and interests that I have time to do.

I look forward to time at home with Alison, participating more in our daily chores and reading together, binge-watching TV good and bad, going to church and visiting children and grandchildren.  

I hear the birds a-chripin'! I see the sky a-clearin'!  I feel the gnats a-swarmin!!

Ok, we'll forget that last one.

Happy Easter, everyone!

Tuesday Harmony

 

Why can't we be more like my pets and live together in harmony?

Ok, they aren't always like this.  Sometimes there are growls and hisses.  But not always.

It's a nice moment, though.

Now that I'm retired, I catch more moments like this.  Walks are more relaxed.  Sitting on our back deck, I notice more about the world around me.  I can get absorbed in the sky and clouds, the breeze through the trees, the birds at the bird feeder, the squirrels picking up what they can.  We even have a frog living in the stump of the oak tree we cut down.

There it is, peering from its hidey-hole, in the lower part of the picture.

Yes, I still stress about the world and the suffering I see.  I still worry if I've done the right thing.  If I should have kept working...

But there is no denying the joy in the little things.  And there are people that I love and who love me.

That is all for today.

Love,

T.M.

Wednesday Morning Pollen Fever

Even after a heavy rain, the top of my car is still dotted with a yellow fever.  

I went out before the rains yesterday and was instantly hit by my sinuses contracting, quickly developing a massive pollen headache.

Blackshear also stank terribly, as if King Kong had left a massive surprise in the middle of the city park. I don't think it was due to the pollen. It most likely was related to the in-town egg plant. I can't say for sure.

Hey, Tom! Why don't you get your car washed?

Why? It will be coated in pollen again in a matter of hours.

The changing weather also means I will need to mow soon. My only consolation is that mowing is much easier now that I have an electric mower. The charge on it only lasts about an hour, but that's ok. That's about as long as I last.

We are looking forward to Benjamin's Spring Break. He will have a friend from Sweden visiting with him and will spend some of the time with us. At the end of next week, we also visit my sister and my brother-in-law, Mike, during their stay at The Village in Florida. It's supposed to be the largest retirement complex in the US. OR so I've heard.

When Alison has her Spring Break in April, I will enjoy it with her for the first time, as I will not be involved in a tax season.

Someone asked me if I had been bored since I retired. I answered, "No! I was bored the thirty-plus years I was doing accounting, but I'm not bored now!"

Q: What are you doing now that you're retired?

A: What I WANT to do.

Even in my blog, I feel like I've spent an inordinate amount of explanation trying to justify how I use my time. It's a definite American affliction. And I'm going to try to stop doing it.

I will try to stop doing it. Although I will share some of what I'm doing (like - woohoo! - I'm going to the dentist today!), I'm going to do my best not to do it defensively.

Until the next time I feel like blogging,

T. M. Strait

 

January Leaving

 January is leaving.

I swears it just got here.  How could it be leaving already?

Church is already talking about Lenten schedules.  Didn't we just finish advent?

I wasn't sure what would happen once I became unmoored from the constant deadlines of my former career.  They came one after another, hurtling me through the calendar.

The first two months of full retirement were during the lightest season of the CPA firm.  I didn't feel really retired yet.  I thought January would hit, and I would feel the change of schedule, thinking back to what I was doing for the last three decades.  

But I really haven't thought about it much.  I'm enjoying my retirement way too much.

Most days are pretty relaxing- doing what I want to do.  I have worked a lot on my comic book project.  Each day is enjoyable, and I find my own rhythms and challenges.

But my consciousness of the calendar is dim.  Without the deadlines, I take each day one at a time and then only look up once in a while, see the calendar, and go, "Holey Moley!  How did we get to that day?"

Time passes quickly.  But I still am taking the time to smell the roses.  Well, not the roses.  More often, it's freshly cooked soups, turkey burgers, the odors of a kitty litter box.  Ok, that last one is not too nice.

I still look forward to events in the future.  Benjamin has only three semesters to go before graduating from college.  Alison and I are planning trips.  And I have a special reason to look forward to April, which I will explain more about later.

February is almost here.  The Winter Olympics (love curling!), Valentine's Day, the return of Last Week with John Oliver, the beginnings of a new MLS season with Atlanta, and then before you know it - it's March and Lent!

Happy Days Everyone!

Time Ticking Towards My Accounting Career's End

Two more days!

My accounting career ticks towards its conclusion.  The clock pictured above was seen on our weekend's visit to Athens and the Georgia Museum of Art.  More on that later!  I have several posts I'm planning once I have the time to properly compose them.

I'm mostly at the batting clean-up stage.  Organizing my office so it can be used by somebody else.  I have personal items that I need to take home, including gnomes and Spider-Man.  I've already discovered I have an It's A Boy! cigar from my co-worker Dean, and an It's A Girl! bubble gum cigar, which he passed out 16 and 14 years ago, respectively.

What can I say?  Over 22 years with the same employer, you tend to accumulate some things.

Do I have any regrets?  I hope the firm and the clients I worked with can make the adjustments, but honestly, I'm not in control of that anymore.  Alison has been rock solid in her support.  And I am looking forward to this stage in my life.

Do I hope to make some income with other opportunities?  That would be sweet, but it's not absolutely mandatory at this point.  I'm taking a couple of months to filter through things and see what it is I'd really like to do.

One thing I'm sure of?  Whatever it is, it won't be in accounting.  

I'm not sure everyone has fully grasped that yet.  I'm not just leaving Higginson & Paulk - I'm leaving accounting.

Not to be mean, but if you have any accounting or tax questions, please ask someone else.  I am done.  I am out.

It's time to start afresh!

 

And So It Begins

An early draft version of a cover for History of the Trap.  I stole a picture of Bridgeport High School, my alma mater. and used the design as a template for Loren High.

Good morning!

Tax season has toddled off the stage. There will still be more hours spent in accounting, but they should be fewer and more restrained, at least until an audit I assist with in July and August.  But I hope to begin to rearrange my time in order to better pursue my creative interests.  And, if I'm successful, to make some of the income I would have made in accounting.

So here are the projects I will be working on:

1)  Publishing Crowley Stories: Swamp's Edge

I have decided to not pursue an agent or a regular publisher for this book.  It's a little different and unique, and the time period it is covering is becoming more remote.  But I'm not sure I'm going to just go straight to Create Space, either.  I'm going to look towards some services that provide additional professional editing, and will help with the marketing and promotion of the book.  I have some ideas in mind, and I will explore the options in the next week or so.  It may cost some money, money I may never recoup, but I want to give the book the best launch I can.

I think it is a book that should be of local interest, and should sell well in the Okefenokee Heritage Center environment.  But there's no guarantee of it.  It won't be a picture book filled with photos, and there is no detailed area history.  Nevertheless, it is a book steeped in the culture of the area.

2) Finding a magazine or anthology that will publish My Europa

I need to continue to send out my completed science fiction novella, My Europa, to magazines that might consider publishing it.  It has been rejected by Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, but I need to send it back out, Next on the list is The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction.

The biggest difficulty in this, besides gearing up for a long line of rejections, is that every place you submit it wants a different format.  That's not easy for me to do.  Formatting is not a specialty of mine, and it's hard for me to keep readjusting it.

3)  Continue writing The Extra Credit Club

I know it's frustrating to those waiting for the second volume of History of the Trap, but I think I have a publisher who would be interested in The Extra Credit Club when it is complete.  I know I may be fooling myself, but believing there is an interested market for this novel is highly motivating to me.

4)  Reread The History of the Trap in preparation for the sequel

Yes, I have a general outline as to where Volume 2 will go, but I think it will be a stronger book if  I reread the first one and take copious notes.

5)  Start the quest to become a reader for audiobooks

I've bought a couple of books that should help me set this up.  Benjamin even has some of the audio equipment on his computer.  I will probably start with an audio version of Here Comes Tommy, and work my way out from there.  I don't need to be falsely modest in this area.  Reading aloud is something I do extraordinarily well, and it's about time I figured a way to make a little money from doing it.

6)  Eventually, become an extra in TV and films

This is not as far-fetched as it seems,  Many movies and TV shows are being filmed in Georgia now.  If I can participate in some in a way that gains me net profit, I would be happy to do that.  Will I get speaking parts?  I doubt it, particularly at my age.  But if it happened, I wouldn't, as they say, "kick it out of bed."

7)  Other writing projects

Publish an ebook version of A Christmas with Pegasus.   Write another Escape From the Office romance, maybe eventually writing enough to get a collection.  Continue my blog, including returning to my father's stories.  Help Grace Lee with the publishing of some of her works.

In order to do this, some other things have to give.  Until Benjamin goes off to college, what community theatre I do will be done in conjunction with him.  My involvement in local organizations may be more limited.  And, although supportive of local progressive politics and progressive candidates, my time spent may not be as much as I originally hoped.  My participation in church activities and charities may not yet reach the scope I would like it to.

And hanging over all of this is the reality that accounting as an income source is not through, and will not be until and unless I can demonstrate the ability to make the income gap up with creative enterprises.

Nevertheless, whether it takes weeks, months, years, or just a dream I pursue without ever capturing,  I am ready to begin!

Wish me luck!

Stuck in the Mire

Mire, per the online Dictionary:  a stretch of swampy, boggy ground (noun).  Cause to become stuck in mud (verb). 

Mire, per me:  stuck where it is hard to move forward to where I want to go.

The goal:  earn the money shortfall I have with other retirement incomes by doing things other than accounting.

I an succeeding at many things in life, but I am failing in this.  I have always been a failure at earning money at those things I do the best and enjoy the most.

I'm probably not alone in that regard, but I'm tired of using that as an excuse.

I thought maybe before tax season started I would've figured some of this out.  But I did not.  So I'm spending more time working than I expected.  I have a limited amount I can earn for the year while collecting Social Security, and the consolation is that tax season will use up how much I can make more quickly.  But that is also a disadvantage, in that it gives me less room to see if I can make money doing other things.

The major thing that I have done outside of work is theatre.  Since I "semi-retired" in August, I have been involved with four productions (The Odd Couple, The Model Apartment, Love Letters, and The Addams Family).  This is great, and I have enjoyed them, but they don't earn a dime.  It shows I'm a creative talent, but it does nothing to bridge the gap away from accounting.

When I am home, it has often coincided with family, and I have done things with them instead.  I also have read and watched television.  I know I should be more disciplined, but it's been good to have a little more time to do those things.

My schedule has been chaotic.  Some days I go to work early, some days late.  And it seems like whether the work day is six hours or ten hours, it seems to eat up just about the same amount of the day.  I don't know why that's true, but it is.

What would I like to do?  I would like to write more fiction, mostly selling via the Internet (self-published), although if I could accidentally get an agent or real publisher, that would be okay.  I wouldn't mind being extra in the movies/TV that are being done in Georgia (as long as I could contain costs so that I actually made instead of lost money). 

Most significantly, I would like to take advantage of my best skill, reading aloud in an engaging and expressive way, and become a voice for audiobooks.  The biggest flaw here is it would require a recording studio, and although Benjamin has some of that setup, I don't know how "professional" it is.  When I read about becoming a voice talent, it's all the technical stuff that throws me off.  Could I be a vocal talent for audiobooks?  Oh yeah, most definitely!  Do I have the ability to build a technically proficient recording studio?  Oh, most definitely NOT.

I would also like to become more involved in charitable work, for both the church and the Heritage Center.  My chaotic schedule also makes that difficult.  And, to be honest, my first priority is to bridge away from accounting.

So I may need to dampen down on some other things.  I may need to back off my theatre commitment for a while.  I may need to give up more personal downtime.  I may need to do what I can to create a more routine schedule.

Right now, however, I need to get through tax season and The Addams Family.  It's always manana, though.  There are always other commitments I need to get through. 

Currently, I am mired.  I'll keep thinking about tomorrow, though.  Who knows?  Maybe I'll find a break in the bog.

Reading Railroad: All Aboard The Polar Express!

I found a new love Saturday, or perhaps it was just rekindling an old one.

The Okefenokee Heritage Society held an event Saturday afternoon, centered on the reading of The Polar Express.  There was also hot cocoa, ornament making, and silver bells.  The Depot was decorated for Christmas, including a Christmas Tree, a decorated mantel with operating fireplace, a toy train set, and, of course, the Heritage Center's real train, with a bell that rings.

I felt privileged to be the conductor of The Polar Express, and read the story to the children that attended the event.  Not to sound conceited, but I knew that I was a good reader.  What I didn't know was that I would manage to have such a positive rapport with the children.  I thought, being relatively shy, that I would stick to the story and not interact with them much.  I was wrong.  I enjoyed engaging them and bringing them into the story.

I owe a great deal to my storytelling teammate, Julianna Lacefield.  She got the children organized and engaged, ready to hear my story. She has a background in children's education, and was a tremendous help in getting them started and helping me hold their attention.

Julianna is a gifted storyteller in her own right, and I hope there will be more occasions where she and I can help bring great storytelling to children.

There were many that helped this event a success. Barbara Griffin stationed the delicious hot cocoa, where there was also candy canes and cookies.  Lamar Deal helped put together the silver bell set, and brought the toy train, and other antiques that helped set the right mood.  Elizabeth Welch, the OHC Director, was the brains and organizational spirit behind the whole event.  Bravo.

Two of my favorite people were at the event, Kimberly and Emily Beck.  Kimberly has been a friend for more than a decade now, and watching her daughter, Emily, grow up to be such a fine person and top-rate actress, has been a great treasure. They attend many of the events that I and/or Benjamin are in, and it means a lot to me.

This is a picture from a few months ago, where Emily was singing a song a song from The Addams Family musical.  She is playing the part of Wednesday Addams, fitting the part to a tee.

She tried out last week for the part of Wednesday Addams for the upcoming musical to be put on by the Waycross Area Community Theatre.  If they do cast her, WACT couldn't make a finer choice.


Retirement, for me, is about finally getting to spend more time doing the things that I love.  And I have rediscovered that one of things that I love to do most is to read to children.  I know it won't make any money (and I do need to make up a slight shortfall in the money I need to bring in - retirement income covers most but not all of what I need to make), but I love to do it, and I hope I can do more of it.

So, for those reading this who would like to utilize my reading talents, and Julianna's as well, please get in contact with me!  I stand ready to entertain and educate!

What Do I Write About?

What do I write about?

The weather?  I had a strong streak of weather related posts going there for awhile,  But now we have our first day here of weather approaching early fall/late summer temps ( projected high 73).  There are no active hurricanes hurtling towards us, and the horrible wildfires in California may be receding. Areas hit by devastation continue to slowly recover, except for Puerto Rico, whose recovery is being hampered by the bigoted, hateful reactions of the President.

Politics?  What else can I say?  No matter what he does, the Trumpeteers stay strong in their delusional state.  I'm sure my readership has suffered by losing those who don't want their beautiful minds disturbed by constant reference to the horrible mistake so many have made, and have been unable to own up to the terrible consequences of their decision, and even more brutally, their continued support of that vile being.

Fiction and poetry?  In the last day I have prepared a new poem and story to enter in to the Okefenokee Writer's Guild writing contest.  But I probably won't put those on the blog until after the contest results are announced. Hopefully, I'll write some other new things in the next two weeks. 

My semi-retirement?  Yeah, somehow I'm finding less time than I thought I would have.  It's good to be busy, though.  But I do need to structure the time better to achieve some longer term goals.  I'm going to reach my hour cap this week, so I should be able to have more time next week, and get my secondary careers into higher gear.  I  should also note the Higgnison & Paulk is moving next week to a new location.  Everything is being boxed up this week.

My health?  I try not to post too much about that.  I don't want to seem like a kvetcher.  I'm too fat, and I'm still having a rough time getting a handle on it.  I hurt my back last weekend, and my movement is limited.  It hurts particularly when I get up to move after sitting or laying down for awhile.  This morning, I have to watch how I sit or it hurts while I'm writing.  It's all good, though.  I've had it before, and it does fade with time.  I hope soon, because I would like to get back to walking.

Sports?  I'm close to abandoning football.  Atlanta Falcons can't hold a lead (STILL), the Detroit Lions are just plain cursed, the Michigan Wolverines are proving they are not a national championship caliber team.  But hey - Go Dawgs!  And then there's the whole injury and concussion thing.  In other sports - I am excited that Atlanta United is going to the playoffs in their inaugural season!  Woohoo!  Both Alison and I have caught soccer fever, thanx and a hat's tip to my son, Doug!

TV and movies?  Still catching up from so many nights spent at the community theater.  And haven't been to a movie since The Kingsman sequel.  It and Blade Runner 2049?  Nope - haven't seen them yet.  Benjamin likes The Gifted.

Reading?  Slowly reading a biography of Thomas Jefferson  and Quest for the Spark, a novel based on Jeff Smith's Bone series.  I'm quite a bit behind on my comic book reading.  The new Superman comic books are the balm.

So, yeah, basically nothing to write about.

Maybe better luck tomorrow.

The Lawn Can Wait

It's been two weeks.  Maybe three.  It's hard to remember.  I suppose I really should  mow the lawn today.

But I'm not going to.

It's not so long that it can't go another week.  It's not so long that I would lose a pet in the tall grasses.  It's not so long that I wouldn't see a snake or gator before it was too late.

I am a creature of habit when I do mow.  I mow on Saturday mornings.  And if it rains, or if I have another obligation,why, I'll just wait another week.  Rarely, I will mow with the atheists on Sunday morning.

I don't have a riding lawn mower.  Our lot is a little under an acre, and I don't see the necessity for a big mower.  We do normally have two push mowers, so I and my son can split up the task and get it done quicker. I say normally, because one of our two mowers has given up the ghost.  It seems like one or both of them is always needing repairs.  This means rather than split, we have to tag team.  And I don't know how much I'm up to that.

We lost a lot of limbs due to Hurricane Irma.  We managed most of it and put it into a debris pile.  I think we clearly won the neighborhood prize for most yard debris.  We have a huge oak tree in the backyard, that is very solid, but sheds a lot of limbs during storms.  At that, there is still some debris in the fenced in back yard that the dogs use.  I'm not in a rush.  I figure it's fun for them, like negotiating an obstacle course.

We have a good number of shrubs and plants and flowers, that I don't really know what they are or a clue as how to take care of them.  I suppose at some point, I might have to trim them or something.  You would think with my semi-retirement from accounting, I would have more time to figure this out.  I don't know, though.  More time off is not turning me into a yard person yet.

My Dad was a yard person, a hangover I think from managing a farm in his younger days.  He never asked for my help, and when I did try (probably my Mother sending me out to do SOMETHING), he would give me a little to do, and if I wasn't doing it right, he would just take the job back.  My father is a wonderful man, but not really a great delagator when it came to yard work or household tasks.  I did take over the lawn mowing by late junior high/high school. With a push mower, of course.

Mowing isn't all bad.  The routine physical exercise allows me to think, and sometimes to come up with creative ideas.  I came up with the whole re-coursing of my life towards doing business and accounting as a career while doing yard work.  Okay, that might not be the best example of positive creative thought.

There are some people who get great joy out of yard work, like my father. More power to them.  They only time it upsets me is when people of that ilk think that people who DON'T do that are lazy.  Investing in a yard that takes a lot of work to maintain is a choice, not a requirement.  What looks like a necessary chore to some may look like artificially created busy work to someone else.

Okay, let me check the yard again and see if I really have to do it yet.

Nah.  I'll pass.

New Rhythms Monday Musings

Benjamin Sloan Strait is off to school to begin his Junior year.  He gives a more subdued version of the thumbs up, the gesture he has used in staged pictures since he was a toddler.

It's the beginning of new rhythms, particularly for a Monday.

Like last week, I get up around 5:30 to prepare for an early morning walk.  But it's different than last week.

Last week, there was a kind of dark all over the neighborhood.  Only one man walking his dog, and one car coming home each morning about the same time.  We have fewer night shift workers than most areas, but they do exist.  All the houses were dark.  No one was up.

This morning, everything was different.  Many of the houses had lights on.  There was a child at the glass front door of his house.  There was more car activity.  And I saw a school bus go by.

Yes, things are different when it's the first day of school.  Anyone who does not tell you that small communities like ours do not move to the rhythm of public schools, have no idea what they're talking about.  School starts, and Pierce County is coming alive.

It's not the only rhythm that's changed.  Although I semi-retired from accounting on Thursday, July 27th, this is the first day I really noticed the change.  Last week, I came to work for at least some hours on Monday through Thursday.  I had Friday off, but that's been true for years.  But this Monday?  Unless I'm called in for an emergency, I won't be in until tomorrow.  So this is the first day it's sinking in.  I really have semi-retired.  I really have a new schedule.

The rhythm is still new. The rhythm will take some getting used to.  Am I really supposed to be home?  Am I doing the right thing?

Somehow, I think I'll adjust.  Somehow, I think I'll get used to it.

New rhythms.

Until next time,

T. M. Strait

Wednesday Wanderings : Penultimate Full Time Style

It's now the trend in TV series.  Only two more episodes left!  ...  Before the penultimate episode, followed by the very last episode!

Why don't they just say there are four episodes left?

So, anyways.....

This is my penultimate full-time day!  Only one more full time day after this, and my retirement from full time accounting begins!

Okay, so...two more days to go!

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What happens next?  I will stay in accounting, but for an average of about fifteen hours a week.  Over time, I hope to find some other ways to make the little bit of money that I need (or am allowed).  Social Security and other retirement income leave just a few hundred a month I need to sustain our current level of living.  With accounting, I at least don't have to put on my greeter uniform at Wal-Mart.  At least not yet.

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It's hard not to talk about politics when that is consuming everything right now.

First, I consider the Boy Scout Jamboree speech Trump made yet another low in a public figure who seemed to already have gone as low as he can go.  He was political and vulgar, turning into something akin to a Hitler Youth Rally.  I don't blame the Boy Scout organization.  They were following tradition, and were expecting (naively, perhaps), for the speech to be non-partisan.  I blame the millions of people who knew Trump was unfit for office and voted for him anyways.  That group is what brought this on to us, and has brought American Democratic tradition to the verge of total collapse.


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No one can doubt that John McCain is a genuine American hero.  He served his country under the most extreme conditions, a tortured prisoner of war, and I don't doubt that he is a patriot, dedicated to this country.  That said, I rarely agree with him politically.  He is super hawkish, and almost always sides with the far right when push comes to shove.  It was painful to watch him, with the terrible disease and prognosis he has, but receiving the very best care available (because he is insured, and very wealthy), to dramatically return to Washington, only  to vote to begin a process that will take health insurance away from millions.

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I don't know the final shape of the Republican Health Care bill.  But I'm not alone.  They don't either.
But whatever the ultimate outcome, I know these things will be true -

Tens of millions will lose health insurance.

Hundreds of thousands will go medically bankrupt.

Tens of thousands will die from lack of access and proper care.

I have to ask my conservative friends this question -

Is your blind hatred of Obama and Hillary worth so much pain and suffering?

There will be a reckoning.

The Progressive Majority is coming.  The right's extremism is making it more likely every day.

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Back to the apolitical.

I am ready to swing into my penultimate full time day!

Ulp.

I see by the clock that I need to start into the penultimic swing!

Just think how long these will be when I don't have to jump into going to work!

Until my first post-retirement Wednesday Wandering!

 

Saddle Up Tuesday Tidbits

Sometimes all you can do is saddle back up and try, through a brain freeze or blues, through the silent fog  of recessed coherence or a cacophonous noise that shatters focus on any one thought.

So here I try again, hoping that I can write something, because a day without writing is like a runner who doesn't get out for his morning jog.  It gives you a gitchy, incomplete feeling for the rest of the day.

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I am approaching that special age when one first qualifies for Social Security, at least those who want to draw at the earliest eligible age.  How long that will last, before the Republicans bump it up, is any one's guess.  Or if even they keep the Social Security system at all.

I have set to begin drawing on August 1.  I will still be working part time in accounting, and between all sources of income and retirement, I will be contributing as much or more than I am now.

The eventual goal is to earn money, within the allowed limits, at things I love to do.  That would involve more writing, and other things involving the story-telling arts.  That might include, in addition to writing, work as a docent or teaching classes, extra work in movies and television, audio recordings, just to name a few.

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I was moving forward on my health plans, but my diet received a serious setback this last weekend. We had not one but two church buffet style meals, and I'm afraid my middle name became Overindulgence.  I gained back 3.8 pounds, the first dramatic weekend gain-back since I started trying again.  It wiped away about three weeks worth of progress.  Oh, well.  I just gotta get back in the saddle again.

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No, I have not seen Wonder Woman yet.  That's to come this weekend for my birthday.  We hope to see it at the fanciest screen we can find, and  hopefully, that will scoop in a trip to my favorite bookstore, Chamblin Book Mine.  It has a wonderful labyrinth quality to it that is really special.  And a trip to a favorite restaurant,  possibly The Cheesecake Factory.

Yeah, I can see that weekends are going to be a problem on this diet thing.

Sigh.

Thanks for tidbitting  with me for a little while.  Maybe I'll have a clearer, more focused topic on Wednesday.

Or maybe I'll just wander.