Might lose my p.t. job. Quandary: Do I go for the early S.S. and lose a couple hundred a mo. (more than if I wait) or do I throw myself into the gnashing teeth of the job market? I don't feel too much pressure as a retired pensioner but sure will be easier to help out the Gen X-Y & offspring who are fighting the recession if xtra $ is coming in. Wish I could get behind that 'seeing eye' to know if I'm likely to follow my 102 yr. old Dad's foray into centenarian territory. I've gotten conflicting advice about the S.S. Not working where I've been for the past 13yrs. won't feel like a loss, but a release. Any insights are appreciated. (Outsights also considered)
I also realize what a petty problem this is compared to what 20 - 50somethings are currently going thru. Just thought s/o might have a thought.
I prefer the social aspect of dogs, but the independent (usually) nature of cats suits my current life style. Also, the latter tend to get into less 'trouble', but when they do, they lie better about it. (BTW, the photo in "writer's block" is the spittin'/hissin' image of one of our cats).
Now that we know we have slightly less than 12 mos. to overpopulate the planet (Maya calendar), I'm going to give my best New Years advice to the generations following mine: (Why did I not include mine....?)
- Buy quality and learn/determine to maintain and repair - Keep the iPhones nearby if you have to, but get power over them - Cook stuff at home a bit more - Ask yourself "why did they...?" when you think s/o dissed you. (Prolly not why you think, if at all) - Consider whether what you've been taught all your life is what you REALLY believe - Remember how you look from the moon's POV
Not the usual subject for a quick post, but having been raised in the Hudson Valley where fall colors are (were) as vivid as they get, I'm a bit depressed by the loss of our 2 sugar maple trees behind our house. At least I have one great photo of one of the trees in full orange glory.
So now we have an open back yard with no gutter-clogging leaves to worry about, and we can grow grass so the grandson doesn't have to slog thru mud ---- but I LOVED those maples!!
There's something about grilling and gobbling cornonthecob that just makes for a pleasant evening w/ lariss and son. Then watching 15 or so dogs having fun off-the-leash in the dog park gives one the idea that if they can do it, we primo primates ought to figure out a way to get off our leashes and work things out, too. Maybe the prob is the 6 or 7 (or however many) billion of us won't fit w/in the chain link fence. Or not enough frisbees and tennis balls.
It hit me! If I could go back in time, I'd take either one of my wife's siblings. They think they know history and use it to augment their (relatively dogmatic) points of view. I don't know what really took place other than the versions we're fed thru various questionable sources but I'll bet we'd all get a different perspective than the one we currently have. It'd be interesting to see which of us comes back the most disillusioned!
I guess the road in front of my house will never cease being a speedway for hyper drivers in varying conditions of excitement. Two years ago, 2 men were killed when their car (running in excess of 95 mph) dodged a car pulling out from an intersecting road, flipped 2 or three times and burst into flame in the ditch in front of my house. I was just arriving home from my 60th b-day party when we saw 20 ft. flames shooting up from our property.
Today, while working at the family business, I heard the (now familiar) 'wham!!', thump-ity thump, hoooooonnnk of an obvious accident. The speeding(?) car hit the ditch and flipped or rolled. The driver was injured and taken away in an ambulance. After going thru the usual 991 call, photo taking, gathering insurance info, etc. I learned that, as in the previous, fatal accident, the driver was a young hispanic male. Although the accident may not have been his fault -(the guy who pulled out in front of him likely caused it) it seems a bit too co-incidental that young hispanics are involved in wrecks in front of my house. Guess I'll have to wait for the next one to see if the pattern holds up. My suspicion is that conventional driver's ed. knowledge is not being passed on to some segments of the driving public. Or... our road is disproportionately populated by lead-footed Xicanos.
Hope there's no sequel to this post but betcha there will be.
BULLETIN: Wife came back from taking her Dad to lunch to find garage people door open (she knows it was closed before she left), kitchen entry door glass smashed w/ hammer, and then ------ 50 yrs. of jewelry collection g-o-n-e! That's the only thing they got. Must have been a professional, 'cause nothing else in the house was touched. They hit the jackpot on the first search and split. I'm not much attached to baubles but have to admit disappointment at her losing some nice things I gave her, as well as heirlooms for lariss . Hard to say, "They need it more than we do.", but that's prolly the case in these 'hard times'.
Not going to get expensive security system for $40/mo., but may just invest in surveillance cam system. We made it 26yrs. + w/out break-in and it'll prolly be 20 more before it happens again. Maybe I can catch some other critters prowling around the house..
The worst thing about pulling an A. F. prank on ones offspring is that the one you pull with a light-hearted spirit often is reciprocated w/ an infarction-causing one.
I don't remember what silly little prank I pulled on Rissa during her freshman yr. in H.S, but apparently it set off an elaborate scheme to rapidly advance my greying hair. Upon returning from work, I was met at the door by a sobbing, blubbering girl who could barely speak thru her tears. I naturally asked what the matter was (horrible thoughts going thru my head since she had had a few school troubles recently). She finally sobbed out the 'fact' that she was being suspended for smoking. "I only tried it once, but the principal wouldn't listen! It'll be on my record forever and I won't be able to get into college --- boooo-hooooo!!!"
The one thing most parents are anxious about is the future of their child/children, and having one's only getting black marks on her record is reason for considerable concern! "I don't know if I can get you out of this one.", I said. "Sometimes your decisions will result in consequences beyond your Dad's control....", etc. You know the speech.
Now then would have been a GREAT time for her to break out of character and hit me w/ the "April Fool, Dad -- hahahahaa!" But, NO!! She played it out for at least 15 min., maybe longer, giving me time to imagine all the long-term consequences of one foolish action. Being a teacher, I had seen many kids w/ promising futures lose all hope by doing typical, teen-age dumb stuff. So the anguish boiled heavily for the eternity before she sprung the "gotcha".
What bothered me was the pleasure she seemed to take in my gullibility. And since that time, I have always hoped that she'd only hit me with terrifying scenarios on April 1. Not so... <sigh>
As a retired teacher (12 yrs. now after 29+-yr. teaching career), I may have some insight into this question, and can't help but respond... problem being, a good answer would require much more than my lazy brain is willing to write. But...
curious
anxious