Maybe you remember when the Chicago Bears won the Super Bowl in 1985?  The did a video of the “Super Bowl Shuffle.”  It has been copied by other teams and in other sports throughout the years, but I don’t believe there has ever been a “Senior Shuffle.”  I shuffle myself when I walk, so I’m not just making fun.  In fact, I’ve done it for the last twenty years, so it doesn’t even necessarily relate to old age.   As I shuffle the dogs to Starbucks on sunny mornings, there is a parade of seniors, retirees, those that work at home, unemployed, small children, dogs, and non-traditional 8-5 workers.  In Portland, they all come out when the sun shines and slowly shuffle down the street.  I used to drive by them on the way to work, envious that I couldn’t join that special club that seemed to be enjoying life rather than regretting another day or work.  I don’t think that in our neighborhood that any of them are homeless or needy.  I’m sure that not all of them are retired, like me, but I’m now  fortunate to have joined that parade.

I’ve also now officially joined a fitness center, hoping to improve my slumping posture, marshmallow physique, and lifeless legs.  I already run about three miles every morning, but I’ve learned from my chiropractor and physical therapist that many of my muscles are simply not firing properly.  I have some lower back problems that are improving as the result of strengthening the surrounding muscles.  At my age, I’m not looking for muscles but rather flexibility, balance, and stability.  Maybe I can finally get rid of that shuffle in my step.  I’ll do an orientation program with my wife this weekend to get started.  She wants to take advantage of a Friday evening Yoga class, since it’s on her way home from work.  I’ll have to “work” it into my busy schedule.

It’s Tuesday, but seems like every other day.  It used to be that Tuesdays sounded like “Two Days,” and sometimes seemed to last that long in the office.  I only know it now as my night to cook, but I’m blowing off that responsibility in favor of a college baseball game.   I’ve actually only been to two other college baseball games that I can recall, but tonight it’s Oregon State, the #1 team in the nation.  The “Tres Amigos,” my two retirement buddies and I, are leaving our senoritas at the hacienda, while we go to the ballpark with Senior Discount tickets.  To help make up for it, I did some vacuuming and dusting this morning, since my traditional Monday cleaning day was spent accomplishing nothing.  I did, however, meet with an illustrator to discuss a book project, but that will just cost me money to start, and took the dogs to the vet which also was costly.  The D.E.Q. is apparently closed on emission testing on Mondays, to my surprise, and the Chiropractor appointment was incorrectly placed on my calendar.  Was this perhaps a “Senior Moment?”  In other words, just like the “Senior Shuffle,” I put in a lot of effort but didn’t get far!

Tomorrow we travel to L.A. together, but go our separate ways when we get there.  She will work and I will play.  Hopefully, I can catch a Dodgers game, have an In and Out Burger, and do a Hop On Hop Off bus tour.  There will be no errands run, dogs walked, cleaning chores, or cooking, or even writing for this retiree tomorrow.  I’ll be shuffling around Hollywood, hoping to make it a memorable couple of days.