As the retired spouse, I am much more likely to be at home than my working spouse when they come to take measurements of our kitchen counter-tops. In anticipation of an annual bonus, she’s considering replacement of our glossy black, granite tile surfaces with a seamless, lighter-colored, easier-to-keep-clean stone. Today, I learned everything I needed to know about quartz versus granite options to accent our cherry cupboards and shelves. Since the kitchen is not my domain, I’m perfectly happy with the existing counter-tops but my wife insists that they are outdated and need to go. I will not win this argument, and see the investment as simply one less major trip in our lives.

While I’d like to believe that new counter-tops will add to the resale value of a home we’ll still be living in four years from now, it’s not likely that we will. My wife and I have had long careers in the media business and have never lived together in the same city for more than six years. We’ve owned four different homes/condos, lived in four different apartments in our seventeen years of marriage, and been residents of four different states. That’s a new place every two-and-a-quarter years on average, and we’re in our second location during just under four years here in Portland. I’ve been retired for two years, so our next move will be strictly on her timetable. We’ve already agreed that we probably won’t live here when she retires four or five years from now. The odds are that we’ll move one more time before she ends her career!

We’ve both been a bit sleep deprived these past few nights. The Media Gods have spoken, and change is inevitable! New counter-tops do not necessarily fit in our future as we face another wave of movement within her company. A couple of recent retirements have created some new opportunities, and everyone is abuzz about the ramifications.  Speculation is rampant and we have to go with the flow. Once the pieces come together, we may still be investing in new counter-tops for our current kitchen. However, if the wave turns into a flood, we may seek higher ground. I know this sounds a bit ambiguous, but it’s really none of my business anymore. I will support any decisions she makes, including kitchen remodeling.

In the meantime, the pets and I are in air-conditioned comfort as a heat-wave sweeps through Portland. I know I’ve spent a lot of time complaining about the rain, so hot, dry temperatures I can only enjoy. The World Cup and Tour de France television coverage have kept me entertained all week. My wife and I did venture out last night for “Date Night” at Canard, and tomorrow’s “Leadership Meeting” will be at “America’s Largest Antique and Collectible Show.” Another baseball card just arrived in the mail, as I continue to “nickle-and-dime” away my retirement funds. Who knows what I’ll find at this show that I just can’t live without? I guess that if I spend too much on “junk” tomorrow, I’ll have no choice but take “counter measures.”