Catching Up

I really wanted to use this frequently but then along came Facebook and I get by on pithy sentences (and many, many not so pithy). So I’ll get a little caught up here before I wander away again.

My Mimi-sitting gig in Cleveland was terrific. (I did get some sort of stomach bug that made me SO sick that it almost overshadows the really good memories from that. No more about that!) Kaitlyn and Courtney are just beautiful. I’m as in awe of them as I was of Emily & Jenny at those ages. It surprises me how much I can love these little girls, again echoing how surprised I was about that capability with my own two beauties.

When I came in the house, Katie immediately gave me the “Vanna White tour.” I realize that 3-yr-olds talk constantly, but this was really amazing. The highlight was her tour of the guest lavatory, with its “toe-let” and accompanying “toe-let paper.” I was shown where the handle for flushing was and how to wash my hands. And in her and Courtney’s rooms, I had to see how the closet doors worked. And my camera was packed in my suitcase and not handy in my purse. Rats. A real opportunity missed.

But while Emily & Pete were away and I was the Mimi, the three of us went for walks and went to the park (I knew where it was because Emily & I had gone there before they left),

looked at flowers and threw stones off bridges into the creek that runs behind the house. Spring in Cleveland was all that I’d forgotten about spring in Iowa: so many things can flower simultaneously, it was truly beautiful.

The girls at the park were so much fun. Tiring but fun. Pushing on swings, climbing up and then sliding down slides. Playing in the big sandbox. And Katie’s propensity for finding 7-9-yr.-old kids and asking them, “Will you be my friend?” They then help push on swings and slide down slides. Those kids were so … wholesome, such good kids.

Meals were a challenge for me to follow the rules of the house. It was the timing more than anything that I tried to be conscious of. I was just really getting the hang of it, I think, when Emily & Pete came home … and I was really glad they were home. I was tired! I realized again why people my age don’t have babies!

The drive was easy, and good for me. I needed to get out into city traffic again to reassure myself that I could do that. Living in my isolated little part of the world, I lose my confidence in managing the big parts of the world. Busy cities are exciting for me, and I’m glad to know that I’m not that overwhelmed by them!

I’m probably willing to Mimi-sit again, but I’m not sure if I can do it with a baby again. Just carrying one of those infant carseats will kill me! But the joy from the kids? Priceless.

(BTW, here are my granddaughters sane and normal parents.)

Snowbirding

Well, I’d do it. To be out of the real cold and into a climate that gets “cold” at about 40 is a doable for me. But in my life, right now, it was a one-time thing. So the following thoughts are mine, in this case an imaginary me alone. It’s not that I don’t love my husband; it’s that he would not do this again, so we won’t. But I would.

I really can see why people do this, snowbirding, I mean. The cold in the North Country has definitely lost its appeal for me; I don’t need to prove to anyone that I can survive a winter where –25 is a high temp on some days. So I would do this. I would find a site I liked in Florida, or maybe Georgia, but probably not any farther north than that, and I would move there for 2-4 months per year. How long I’d be south would be determined on what involved me in the north. And since I’m kind of a loner anyway, I might actually split it 60-40, and I can’t say right now which end would get 40% of my year!

Of course, the best possible world would be to be able to afford to own a home on both ends of your line. It would address many of the “hardships” (and those quotation marks are significant here) that a renter experiences: kitchen utensils and the like. So that's the way I’d do it if I could.

If you're thinking about it, spend one year or more scoping out areas you think you might like. If you’re in the East, that’s usually Florida and above. But the Midwest has different options: the area around Bronson, Texas in the Corpus Christi and Padre Island area, the Southwest. You need to spend some time in the area—I’d recommend a minimum of two weeks at a time—to find out if it has what you’re used to. My original idea of a month to try out really living there was a good one; two weeks would still feel like a vacation and not a move, to me at least.

What I missed in Crystal River, FL? Internet access! THE most. And that surprised me. I hadn’t realized how much I’ve come to rely on the research capabilities of the Net (which is why I’ll never update my textbook ever again). So get a place in which you can have Internet access in whatever way you can get it. Since I have only a pay-as-you-go cell phone I didn’t have access through it and that wasn’t good.

On your trial trip, and I’m seriously recommending you do at least one of these, look at the area’s social networks. Are they easy to add into? Can you easily find a way into them? Is there a location where you can get the best info on them? I happened into a Tai Chi program at the local public library—where I had to go for free wi-fi—and I would have used that as a stepping stone into other groups. Or go to the local grocery store that fits your economic situation, at about the same time every week and get to know your fellow shoppers.

IF you can afford it, buy a place where you want to spend about 1/2 of your year. (Renting is okay, but having a place of your own would be so much nicerr in terms of knowing what you had and what you needed to bring.) The places we looked at in the Crystal River area were either a) tiny, or 2) pretty high-priced because they had waterfrontage—usually on one of the many canals in the area. There were huge trailer parks in the area that we didn’t see at first; and I think they were hidden for good reason. FL has some trailers that must have been made when Marshfield Homes was still in business! But most of the newer communities are not double-wides anymore; we found one that we both liked and the houses were stick-built and very appealing. Of course most had water frontage and that puts them into that 2d category above. Sigh. And here’s a picture of a home that’s for sale—one canal over from the one we were on and on the river end of it—that I wouldn’t be thinking of buying—unless my husband died and I discovered he’d had untold millions that were now mine! Hahahaha :) But it certainly is attractive….

The Web makes realty browsing so easy that once you have an idea of an area you’re interested in, you can see what prices are. So I’m going to do that for amusement right now. :) If you want me to write anymore about this, give me a comment or two.

Snow, the curse of winter

It’s still snowing. I’m not sure what our total is officially but looking at our metal roof, I’d say about 12” so far.



This was taken this morning, about 11, out the front window. (It’s Bruce’s “artistic” creation that shelters our fledgling birdsnest spruces.) So add about 3-4" to the stacks of snow here. The weatherman actually weighed a shovelful of snow on the news tonight: 15 lbs. Wet and not fun. It started snowing last night and as I write, at 11 p.m., it is still snowing. And another storm hits tomorrow.

Usually I would help shovel and just sigh. But this week we’re supposed to be leaving for Florida and our trip gets delayed by a day and then another. Initially we were going to leave on Thursday. Now I’m hoping for Saturday. Look at this weather forecast ! AAAARRRGGGHHH!

I’m telling myself that this is not a disaster. There are many people in far worse situations than I. (Can I unclench my jaw now?) I just had to vent.

I’m hoping the next time I write I’ll be sitting on our dock!

Ready to go

So we leave for Florida soon. This should be a true adventure. I’ve never driven it before and I probably won’t be doing any of the driving this time either. But we will be going by car. I’m really looking forward to it. But if there was any one time I’d love to be beamed there, Scotty, this is it. Traveling with the cat  … hmmm. I plan to give her a sedative and hope that she’ll sleep most of the way. Then once we’re there it’ll be a matter of not having her freak too much and try to run away. We’ll be on a canal, and I’m sure there will be cat-eating creatures not far away. And Susie just isn’t a kitten anymore—almost 15! (I’ve decided I want to be a cat in my next life; they don’t get wrinkles.)

Life around here is pretty boring right now so I’m doubly glad for the FL diversion. I need to find something to do … that won’t hurt me! I’m swimming and it seriously exacerbated my old tennis-elbow tendonitis so I even have to be careful doing needlework. Did you know that tennis elbow is affected by cross-stitch? It is. So I put on an elbow brace to do it! And that’s where I’m headed now.

Wish us safe travels. I’m sooo hopeful that Bruce will make it only a 3-day trip.

What Endorphins Can Do

I'm back in the exercising mode. And I really really really want to stay here. It's so very easy to put this at the bottom of priorities, which I've done for years. But this week I got some pretty clear indicators: miss exercising for two days and gain .5 lbs. I realize that my scale goes by 1/2 lbs. And I realize that my water retention affects my weight so much so that I'm not sure what I really do weigh. But just going by the scale clearly means that I MUST work out in some way six days out of seven. Do you know how much of a day that takes? I can't believe anyone who isn't retired has time for this! If I leave for the gym between 9 and 9:30,I'm home at about 10:30 - 10:50. Then I have to blow-dry my hair. Wipe out my morning up till 11:00--or even 11:30. Then I might as well have lunch (I'm usually hungry anyway) and my working day starts at about 12:30. I guess that's not bad for a retired person, but I have to break myself of the years-long habit of doing nothing productive in the evening and get some stuff done then. I'm sure I'll figure it out. Meanwhile, I'm grateful that my health is good and my body keeps moving ... at least so far.

Later.

Retired Life

I’m sitting here on a night after a day in which I did pretty much what I want to: I got up at 7:50, went to the gym at about 9:00, swam about ½ mile, came home feeling pretty righteous, farted away the next 1½ hrs. Had a really saintly lunch of salad w/o carbs, read at the station for 2 hrs., gave blood, farted away another 1½ hrs., and had dinner at Friendly’s and went to a PSU Men’s Hockey game. (It was a bloodbath; we won 9-3 against Skidmore). Then a nice conversation w/Laura, who has a new man in her life and is sounding so positive and upbeat. Bruce & I are so hoping that he isn’t another user/heart-breaker. She seems to be such an easy target for that kind of man.

I’m  hoping I convinced Laura that we are NOT thinking of selling the house and moving … anywhere. I think maybe Leanne got that idea in her head and there is nothing further from the truth. We’ll spend a month in Florida and then … come HOME. I’ve said that if we ever vacate this house, it will be on Bruce’s volition. That realtor visit threw everyone. And *I* am laughing; Bruce would be too, if he knew what a tizzy it threw many into!! I’ll say it again: If we ever leave this house, it will be Bruce’s decision. I will NOT be saddled with the blame of “forcing Bruce out of his house.” He knows this. If anyone else needs to know this, they do now.

But I’m beginning to love being truly retired. I call the shots. My schedule is set by me. My only worry is that I’m limiting myself. Book myself not enough = boredom. Over-book myself = resentment (not true, I know, but it’s there nonetheless). That happy medium is there somewhere and I’ll find it.

Good night.

Help from afar

I called Dell Support today to help me take off the password I had put on my laptop when just opening it for the first time. There’s no real warning to a tech-semi-moron like me that you really don’t need one of these passwords; I need the sign in all caps that yells: DON’T CREATE PASSWORDS! THEY’RE NOT NECESSARY! YOU’LL REGRET IT! AND THEY’RE ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO REMOVE!

So I went to Dell Support. I’d gone there last week and even though the tech somewhere in India/Bangladesh/Pakistan who answered the call after a 10-minute wait took my phone number, “in case we get disconnected,” he never called me back after I did get disconnected. So I called again today. Today’s tech had to transfer the ownership of my new laptop from Staples, where I’d bought it, to me. That took a bit, even though last week’s tech supposedly had done that too. Anyway, we finally started on my problem. I think I began the call at about 3:15 EST. I realized that my tech—I never did understand his name but it was probably Jeff … unh huh—didn’t have a clue about how MY laptop worked. After many unbelievably long waits while he “got some assistance,” we FINALLY removed the damned password. This was the one that I was required to type in every g-damned time I touched the computer. But we did get it removed. I think it was about 5:05 EST. At least that was free.

So now I’m watching “Men of a Certain Age,” a show that’s aimed at my age group … only about men rather than women. Will men watch this? I doubt it. Ray Romano, Andre Brauer, and Scott Bakula. Great guys all of a certain age. Of course, that’s now OMG younger than I am. But the things they obsess over are familiar. If not a problem I’ve had, it’s one a friend has had. Getting playlists from people 20 yrs younger, trying to communicate online with a stranger, pretending you’re as hot as you were 20-30 years ago. All familiar.

So I got my computer fixed. And I went for a walk. And I’m planning to swim tomorrow morning. I’m feeling like I’m back on track. While I like the job at Borders, it disrupts my life more than I want it to. Next year? I don’t know.

Eat healthy. EXERCISE!!! But be nice to yourself. If you don’t do either of the above, there is no lightning bolt from heaven that’s GPS’d to your location. So be nice to yourself.

(And it’s now clear to me that my next job with this laptop is to figure out how to download a clip art illustration into this blog. Stay tuned.)