The dogs were glad to see me unpacking my bags last night.  I’m sure they were disappointed once they figured out that it was just me returning.  Their favorite human is in Chicago the rest of this week, so that reunion will have to wait.  I takes a while to get reorganized after being away, even though the dog-sitter did her best to keep things in order.  Unpacking leads to laundry, and finding space for all the souvenirs you’ve collected.  There was a pile of mail awaiting and plants to water.  Fortunately, in retirement, there are no work-related messages, unhappy clients, or job-related emergencies.

I’m resting my feet today, after averaging over 21,000 steps a day in touring San Francisco.  I have some heel pain, so I did the minimum one-mile run this morning and put an ice bag on my Achilles – to take the “ache” out of the word.  All that’s left is “ills,” but more like ills-soothing chills.  I’ll continue my training for Hood to Coast tomorrow, and try to stay off my feet as much as possible today.  It will give me a chance to catch-up on my writing, that didn’t get a lot of attention while I was being a tourist.  My son and his family should be on a plane back to Florida, so my grandfather duties are also officially on hold.  It’s just me today – on ice!

It’s about 25,000 miles around the world, and I’m already more than half-way on my second orbit this year.  We’ll take a short trip to Seattle in a couple of weeks to see Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and head back to Indiana in October and December.  New York city should be the only other adventure before the New Year, completing the second orbit.  We’ll have a new experience this weekend, without traveling far, to see Polo Noir, although it is Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers rather than men on horses that is the main attraction for me.  I’m not exactly looking forward to replacing divots between chukkas, but the wine, beer, music, and company will be great.  Admittedly, I have gone to a polo match before when one of my stations was a sponsor, and did a lot of business with Budweiser in the Midwest.  Peter Busch, of the Anheuser-Busch family, was a key participant and financial supporter of the sport that tends to be more popular in Europe.  His daughter, Tiffany, is a current star.  It is, after all, “The Sport of Kings,” so it’s apropos that the “King of Beers” be closely involved.  Budweiser typically sponsors everything, but In this case, it’s the Oregon craft beer brewer, Widmer Brothers, that has the pouring rights.  Anheuser-Busch recently bought their competitor, Ten Barrel Brewing, so this Bud is not for you!  How about a Hef instead?  I’m still struggling on what to wear to the match.

Auto Racing, Baseball, and even Polo will have made this first retirement year memorable, with Soccer, Basketball, and Football yet to go.  We have tickets for the Seattle Seahawks, Portland Trailblazers, and the Portland Timbers and will get to games before the year is over, plus the PK80 College Basketball event here in Portland over Thanksgiving weekend.  Music has been and will continue to be a big part of 2017.  James Blunt, Ed Sheeren, Bruce Hornsby, Tom Petty, The Lumineers, Coldplay, Tadeschi Trucks, Lady Antibellum, Django All-Stars, Flo Rida, Pit Bull, Mick Fleetwood, and Z.Z. Topp will all be a part of the retirement celebration, along with the comedy of Louis C.K.  I’m sure that others will be added before the year is over.

Woodie Guthrie can take pleasure in knowing that “This Land is Your Land” is now officially my retirement theme song.   I’ve already had the pleasure to travel this year from “the Redwood Forests to the Gulf Stream waters.”  I’ve seen “Golden Valleys,” “the Sparkling Sands of her Diamond Deserts,” “Wheat Fields Waving,” and “Fog Lifting.”  There are many miles to go on the “Freedom Highway,” and “Nobody Living can ever stop me.”  “This Land was made for you and Me.”  The retirement tour is coming to a city near you, and T-Shirts will be on sale soon!