I can barely type on the keyboard after my daily run, with my body filled with adrenaline. My hands shake more than normal before my heart rate begins to settle. The first paragraph every morning requires numerous corrections as I try to turn thoughts into words. It’s probably the best I feel all day as well as my most productive hours. The same was true when I was working. Normally, however, I was in a room where I didn’t have to worry about being disruptive. Today, I’m in a hotel room, as will be the case over the next week here in Las Vegas, and my wife is still trying to sleep. Apparently, there were some noisy neighbors that I was able to somehow sleep-through. Sometimes there are advantages to loss of hearing, but my wife isn’t buying that rationalization. “Get a hearing aid,” continues to be her not so subtle mantra. What?
It used to be “get your hearing checked,” but obviously I’ve proven that it’s more than just ear wax. I actually did get it checked a few years ago as the complaints started, and although they found some issues, it was considered to be normal age related hearing loss. Rock concerts! I don’t think I’ll have that concern at the upcoming Barry Manilow concert, as if I really want to hear “Copacabana.” Perhaps it’s gotten worse, but I don’t want to hear what’s going on next door in a hotel room or our apartment building. We have a small child upstairs that sounds like a herd of elephants as she runs with unbounded energy. I think I’ll wait until we move away from downtown Portland before I invest in new ears.
I do use closed captioning when I watch television, claiming that I can’t often understand the character accents, particularly British productions. I’m usually at the keyboard anyway, not totally focused on the plot. I end up re-viewing a program several times before I get the full gist of it. I wish I had the CC option at the movie theater, but there I’m forced to pay close attention. I think I just need to pay fuller attention to my wife rather than try to listen while monitoring game scores on my phone. What? In retirement, nothing urgent comes through my phone anymore, so she should get my total concentration. It might help me get away with a few more years without amplification. Quite simply, if I give her my undivided attention, I shouldn’t need a hearing aid -yet!
It took as long to get from downtown to the airport as it did to fly to Vegas (1 hr. 45 minutes). With some overhead power issues, they shut down the MAX half-way there, loaded us on a shuttle bus to the Blue Gresham bound train, and finally transferred us back to the Red. With our start on the streetcar, it was a 5-step Tri-Met sampler, utilizing all their public transportation options. It took all this plus two elevators, an escalator, handicap ramps, rough sidewalk maneuvering and good old-fashioned muscle to ultimately get our luggage to an Alaska Airline baggage handler. At least, they gave us a break on the extra pounds we packed. Despite all this hassle, we still had time for a Pot Belly sandwich as we waited to board.
The trip had started so smoothly, catching the streetcar and Airport train without any waiting. We were comfortably seated for about ten minutes before they abruptly dumped us off at a busy stop just over the bridge. It was shoulder-to-shoulder from that point on as we were herded like cattle from bus and train-to-train. The big wide smile on my wife’s face began to fade with each detour. Fortunately, the plane took-off even a few minutes early. Our last trip to Vegas was badly delayed, so thoughts of “here we go again” weighed heavily before we got through security unscathed. We were finally on our way.
Travel hassles are all part of the adventure, especially in unhurried retirement. There’s been some doozies through the years, including missed flights or connections, unexpected airport stops, car rental mishaps, rough seas, illness, overnights in airports, lost baggage, miss-booked hotel rooms, bad weather, accidents, and arguments. Flexibility is the best precaution – a luxury we now have without work schedules. Also, our dog Tally is about the only responsibility we can’t always take with us. There’s little reason why we can’t stay a few extra days. It’s only money!
Actually, I still pout and moan if things don’t go as planned. There’s no patience in these old bones, although I am contemplating a meditation course that a friend teaches. Perhaps, I can adopt some of Buddha’s philosophies in the process? In our recent travels to Thailand, we joked about the constant presence of gold statues celebrating Buddha and his often exposed rear end – “Buddha Butt.” When I brought this up at the recent breakfast meeting, the guy next to me claimed to have invented that religion. “I’m a plumber,” he quipped. I hope my Buddhist friends can overlook these crass butt-crack jokes, and I can learn the patient, forgiving ways of Buddhism. Maybe it can even fix my bladder problems?
Today we pack – tomorrow we travel. We’re looking forward to the bright lights of Vegas and maybe some sunshine. Unfortunately, there is some rain in the forecast so we may not get away from the Portland weather after-all. I made our last dinner reservation yesterday for Edge Steakhouse in our hotel after a recommendation from a friend. A big dinner and a couple martinis should set the stage for my predictable nap during Barry Manilow’s performance soon after. It will be our final night of a week-long stay at the Westgate Resort and Casino. I’m sure we’ll be ready to get out of town and home to a more sedate life of retirement.
My wife has shifted her focus on finding our “forever” home to south of Sarasota from north of Tampa. She still wants to be as close to the beach as possible and prefers the builder in that area. I’ll just be glad when we finally make the decision and start to build. We still plan on moving a year from now with many trips planned in the meantime. Vegas, Phoenix, Dallas, Bali, San Francisco, Florida, Egypt, Kauai, Spain, Norway, and Russia have all been scheduled. My wife also wants to do a girl’s getaway to Savannah and Hilton Head. At that time, I’ll be headed to the Olympic Track & Field trials for a few days with the boys. We’re going all out on worldly adventures our first year of joint retirement.
On the boring, couch potato side of our lives, we continue to watch Grace and Frankie together, while I just finished both Season 2 of You and the 6th of Vikings. When we get back from Las Vegas, I’ll wrap-up the Season 7 finale of Curse of Oak Island and buy Season 5 of Better Call Saul. Even though both my wife and I were in the network television business for the majority of our careers, the only over-the-air programs we’ve viewed in months was the recent Super Bowl and post-game Masked Singer. Otherwise, it’s been a diet of cable or on-demand, our once-hated competitors. We’re both glad to be out of the business, as viewer ratings continue to diminish and performance demands grow unbearable.
Last night was Hak for “Date Night,” a welcome opportunity each week to abandon our tiny apartment. We went by streetcar, transferring to the other side of the river, our longest local rail venture yet. I did use the car yesterday to meet-up with a “coffee-group” that my high school friend invited me to join. “Leadership Meetings” are no longer a Friday lunch mainstay, so I’m seeking new friendship and a break from the indoor routine. My wife and I also got out for a Tuesday matinee showing of The Gentlemen via streetcar. All of these convenient, close-to-home activities will be left behind tomorrow once we pack our bags.
Punxsatawney Phil did not see his shadow, meaning that spring is quickly on the way. We’re waiting for Portland Zoo’s hedgehog to hopefully confirm this prediction. Also, today’s date is a palindrome, the first eight-digit, backwards-forwards reading identical numerical series in over 900 years. It’s also the day the Chiefs, once the Dallas Texans, return to the Superbowl in 50 years. They did win the fourth NFL-AFC World Championship game in 1970, the precursor to the trademarked modern day Superbowl. In fact, it was the Kansas City Chiefs owner, Lamar Hunt, in 1966 who “kiddingly” came up with the name to hype the annual battle. The media expanded on it using even more superlatives like “Super Week,” “Super Sunday,” “Super Teams,” and “Super Players.” It apparently became official after the first two AFC-NFC match-ups, as “Broadway Joe” and the Jets claimed the first AFC crown in Super Bowl III over the Baltimore Colts. This is the 54th (LIV) year of the distinctive roman numeral designation. It’s indeed a Super Day of football, shadow-hogs, and crazy numbers.
02022020 is where the craziness begins that ends with an LIV Champion. In the meantime lots of food and drink will be consumed. We’ll be having wings, the most popular of the Super choices. Speaking of crazy, as a pre-game warm up, I continue to watch the bazaar Netflix series, You. It reminds me of the twisted HBO program, Barry with Bill Hader. Looking out the two windows in front of me, there’s actually some blue sky today, although temperatures are in the mid-thirties. My run this morning was definitely not Super, with slow heavy steps through the trash-littered homeless camps of downtown. At least it was not raining, but the 3.1 mile route seemed endless. I was glad to finally arrive at my writing desk in front of the television between views of the rooftop next door.
Yesterday afternoon we went to see Uncut Gems with Adam Sandler, another Super strange story on this lazy first weekend of February. Then there was more butt-sitting as we finished Season 4 of Better Call Saul and started Grace and Frankie while feeding our faces with Chinese food. The Super Bowl will soon be over and while everyone else goes to bed with thoughts of work tomorrow, I’ll get ready for another Super day of retirement.
I hope to get a few paragraphs in before the I.U. vs. Ohio State basketball game starts this morning. I’d like to have Buckeyes for Breakfast but I’m sure they will be a tough nut to crack. As I.U. goes into another of their notorious scoring droughts, I’m sure my anger will start to flair and hands will start to shake. Our poor pup Tally will cower in fear as the sound of my voice starts to express anger and frustration. In the meantime, I’ll spend some peaceful minutes recounting my daily thoughts.
We had a great dinner at Morton’s this past week, taking advantage of a steak and lobster special topped off with their legendary Hot Chocolate Cake and ice cream. We were there early before the Broadway Series presentation of Dear Evan Hanson, a Tony Award winner that we saw a few years ago in New York City. My wife is such a fan of the theater so I was surprised when she wanted to leave at intermission. It was a good show but still a replay of something we’d already seen on a bigger stage. It’s the second-straight show where we’ve left early. This is a clear sign of old age.
Intermission and bed time arrive about the same time any more. A big dinner and a couple drinks followed by a dark room often leads to nodding-off, with no disrespect to the performers. Sometimes it doesn’t even take the lights-off to result in eyes-closed. This happened at the Old Timer’s Baseball Banquet the other evening. It certainly didn’t help that there were four windy speakers. Last month, it was Fiddler on the Roof that caused an early exit. At least, it’s been a long time since I fell asleep in the middle of a movie, but most of those have been in the afternoon.
I’ve never been a fan of the intermission. In my option, if something is too long to need a break then it’s probably not worth seeing. I do, however, understand the need to bolster concessions, network with fellow theater-goers, use the bathroom, and perhaps make a fashion statement. I just don’t have the attention span to handle all these interruptions. It seems to get worse as I get older. To me, intermission is interruption! Even a basketball halftime is tough for me to handle. Let’s just get it over with and all go home!
In retirement, we may have to limit our live theater experiences to matinees so we can see the whole show. When we’re in New York we do two shows a day without a nap. However, we’ve always come from an earlier time zone. While living in Portland, New York shows often end at 8 p.m our time. I’m usually still awake, but when the clock strikes ten here at home after an intermission, I’m ready for bed. It’s also a big waste of money to walk-out halfway through a show. Maybe intermission should extend into the next day? That way we could rest and come back tomorrow for the rest of the show.
I’m amazed that I’ve now reached the 1200th post on my silly little blog. It’s been a staple in keeping my retirement sanity, along with my running streak. This combination occupies the first couple hours of each morning to provide me with a rewarding sense of daily accomplishment. Both can be tedious tasks that require discipline and mental strength to persevere. This morning, for example, I ran my typical downtown route but imagined that I was in my old neighborhood. I visualized every turn, landmark, bus stop, mile-marker and hill that was part of the course that became familiar over a five-year span. As I ran by the waterfront today, I was envisioning what I once called “retirement circle,” a cul-de-sac that was halfway through my former neighborhood route. Instead of seeing the homeless sitting on park benches, I was looking at beautiful landscaped yards and fine homes.
By superimposing one route over the other, it challenged my mind to focus on the past and became a welcome distraction from the monotony of each step. There truly is a sharp contrast between suburbia and downtown, each with a distinct personality. It’s not that I miss the old neighborhood – it’s just a matter of adjusting to running through busy intersections and on uneven sidewalks while avoiding scooters, bicycles, commuters, and homeless people. It requires so much more awareness to circumvent the obstacles of a busy downtown. It was a little less imposing this morning since it was a quiet Saturday and not a hectic work day. Otherwise, I might not have been able to complete this fun mental exercise that accompanied the physical strain of day 4,045 of my continuous running streak.
After the run each morning, I like to relax at the keyboard and let my mind guide my fingers. Often I just start writing without a conscious topic or goal. As a result, many of my posts are nothing but meandering ramblings that somehow come together in the end. By 10 a.m. every single morning, I’ve run 3.1 miles and submitted another short chapter to this blog. Sometimes I add a humorous poem that comes to me during the run and keeps my brain off the tedious task at hand. Today, however, it was just a mind game that kept me going, as I mentally rambled through the old neighborhood while navigating the new.
As I run every morning through the streets of downtown Portland, it’s hard to ignore those sleeping on the ground, rooting through trashcans, and staring off in space. It’s in my nature to try to do something nice – to make their day a little better. We’ve tried leaving leftovers on a nearby park bench, making donations to the local shelters, and passing out cash. With the latter, you never know if you’ve given to a worthy cause or if they’re headed directly to the liquor store. However, if it makes you feel good it’s certainly worth the chance.
Last night was “Date Night,” moved from its traditional Wednesday slot to Thursday, just as “Matinee Monday” was also rearranged. We tried to do both on Thursday night since my wife was finally feeling up to going out after injuring her foot last weekend. We went to see Little Women at the theater via streetcar but then barely had enough time to let our schnauzer Tally out before a dinner reservation at Montesario Pinseria. Public transportation was running behind because of the rainy weather, and after a long wait we finally called an Uber. In the meantime, I’m monitoring a key I.U. basketball game against Michigan State, as update messages come flooding into my phone from friends. My wife, of course, hates it when I’m paying attention to my phone at the dinner table, especially on “Date Night.” Dinner included pizza, one of my favorites, but I was forced to pick-off the broccolini that in my opinion was a strange topping. Going along with my wife’s choice seemed like a small sacrifice considering that I was cheating on her with the phone. It was a close game but the Hoosiers prevailed, otherwise I could have been in a bad mood and ruined the evening. Just to emphasize, broccolini does not belong on pizza nor does anything else healthy!
After dinner, my wife slowly limps along beside me in a boot designed to stabilize her injured foot, as we once again patiently wait for a streetcar in the rain. Out of nowhere a guy pulls up in a wheelchair wearing a Veteran’s cap and begins to commiserate with her injury. She replies that “it’s only temporary” and he nods sadly and bemoans that “he will never get out of the chair from the injuries that he suffered overseas.” He’s puffing on a cigarette, and politely “out of respect” wheels slightly away and into the rain so as “to not subject us to the smoke.” I thank him for his service and pull $20 out of my wallet, as he goes on to tell me that he needs laundry money to get out of the filthy sweatpants that he’s worn for 11 weeks. As the streetcar begins to pull up, he suspiciously pushes off with both feet and heads in the opposite direction. As we climb aboard, I see him actually running full speed behind the wheelchair across the street directly in front of us. I’m doubting that he was rushing to the laundromat! I guess we should have known better after just watching the second season of Better Call Saal.
The scam actually made me feel better after the guilt every morning of not being able to help everyone in need. Just the other day, there was another guy that stopped me in need of a couple bucks to assist in getting his life back in order. It’s a day-to-day occurrence here in Portland, home of the homeless. I will think twice the next time I’m asked for a handout, with the vision of them laughing behind my back about the success of their little scam. Too bad for all of those that really need it!
Our schnauzer pup Tally is slowly getting oriented to being an “only child.” She had always had Tinker to keep her company, as well as other siblings before we adopted her just before her first birthday. Her 10th is a week away and we need a plan to celebrate. Since Tinker passed away a month and a half ago, Tally has spent 15 days with pet sitters, 2 days at the dog spa, and a week with her niece Falco as a playmate. We’re trying to keep her from being lonely, but you can tell that she misses Tinker, as do my wife and I. Falco is my wife’s oldest daughter’s new pup that is also a rescue. She’s fattened up a bit since we first met three months ago, after the trauma of a hurricane and giving birth.
Falco and Tally love to run and frolic about the carpeted hallways outside of our apartment. It’s about the only real freedom they get, as our actual living space is restrictive of playful activity. They also get to run up and down the stairs before and after we take them outside. I like to use the back stairway that exits directly to the sidewalk, rather than the main way out into the lobby. With this preferable egress, before they can actually get outside, there are two doors that when closed form a small “airlock” that contains them while I put-on their flashing collars and raincoats. There’s also less chance of running into other dogs and the related commotion that often happens in the marble lobby. The third way out is the elevator to take them up and down, but it too empties into the lobby. We don’t use this option as much anymore without the need for Tinker’s stroller. It’s also more fun to watch the dogs navigate the stairs and better exercise for all of us.
Falco is gradually getting oriented to visiting us regularly and playing with Tally. Soon, Tally will be spending reciprocal time at Falco’s house, and hopefully she’ll be more mature around the two cats that once lived with us. Tally loved to taunt Jimmy and Zelda, and never learned to befriend them like Tinker. We’re hoping that all of them will get along better, so we can take advantage of sharing pet-sitting responsibilities and costs. The first experiment will be in a few weeks when we go to Las Vegas. In the meantime, the trials and tribulation of pet orientation will continue.
After 15 days away from home, I’m finally back in a comfortable routine. Yesterday was spent unpacking, sorting the mail, putting away Holiday decorations, and doing piles of laundry, followed by an evening of Fiddler On The Roof at the Keller Auditorium. Unfortunately, both my wife and I were a bit jet-lagged and still adjusting to the three-hour difference in time zones, so we only made it to intermission of the lengthy production. We had both seen it several times before and it’s still enjoyable, humorous, and thought provoking, even when cut in half. It was our first Portland Broadway Series show where we got there by public transportation. I was about to boast that we didn’t have to pay for parking either, but my wife once worked in the building next door and could use her parking space for concerts, plays, and musicals that we would attend.
We had frugally taken the MAX and Portland Streetcar from the airport upon our return three days ago to avoid paying for for two weeks of parking. Although living downtown is relatively pricey, we are saving bits-and-pieces by walking and commuting rather than using our cars. My car is parked over at my step-daughter’s house that we will need to retrieve today, along with Falco her puppy that we’ll be dog-sitting for the weekend. Tally, our ten-year old schnauzer, will be glad to have a companion, as she still seems to be mourning the loss of big sister Tinker. She’s also been in the hands of a sitter while we were traveling, and hopefully missed us too! We lazily took my wife’s car to get groceries yesterday to give it a little action after sitting underground while we were gone. We could have walked and pulled our cart as we usually do, but once again our aging bodies were dragging from the two-week adventure of Planes, Trains, Automobiles, Shuttles, Boats, and Roller-coasters.
We might go to a movie this afternoon that has recently become a bi-weekly tradition with our annual passes. There will be no traditional “Leadership Meeting” today because we’ll all get together tomorrow for the annual Old Timer’s Baseball Banquet. I also have a baseball card luncheon tomorrow that is now a bi-annual tradition. My wife will take Tally on her traditional daily walk through the neighborhood while I write, a ritualistic morning tradition that has been interrupted as we frequently moved hotel rooms these past two weeks. Finally, I’ve returned to the traditional downtown Portland running route and radio station after fifteen days of different routes and distances that make maintaining “The Streak” of now 4,030 days even more of a challenge. Yes, traditions and routines are important in making life easier.
Fiddler On The Roof was all about tradition, as its popular opening musical/dance number emphasizes. Here’s a family built-on the tradition of the father determining the marital fate of each of his daughters, that is eventually uprooted and split apart because of their religious beliefs. Tradition and routine gives each of us an important sense of order and comfort in dealing with the hassles and uncertainties of life. While they can become predictable and boring, it often takes a break from doing them to restore the sense of appreciation they play in our existence. Two weeks of different cities and beds, coupled with strict schedules and entertaining grandchildren make coming home a welcome treat. I’ve gladly returned to the familiar, but will soon be ready for another travel challenge and less routine tradition:
Tradition, tradition! Tradition!
Tradition, tradition! Tradition!
Who, day and night, must scramble for a living,
Feed a wife and children, say his daily prayers?
And who has the right, as master of the house,
To have the final word at home?
The Papa, the Papa! Tradition.
The Papa, the Papa! Tradition.
Who must know the way to make a proper home,
A quiet home, a kosher home?
Who must raise the family and run the home,
So Papa’s free to read the holy book?
The Mama, the Mama! Tradition!
The Mama, the Mama! Tradition!
At three, I started Hebrew school. At ten, I learned a trade.
I hear they’ve picked a bride for me. I hope she’s pretty.
The sons, the sons! Tradition!
The sons, the sons! Tradition!
And who does Mama teach to mend and tend and fix,
Preparing me to marry whoever Papa picks?
The daughters, the daughters! Tradition!
The daughters, the daughters! Tradition!
Songwriters: SHELDON HARNICK / Jerrold Lewis Bock
Tradition lyrics © Trio Music Company
This next decade is truly shaping-up to be “the sunset of our lives,” or at least mine. Some call it the return of the “Roaring Twenties.” I already addressed this in a recent post, but I also wanted to take it back another century to see if there are any comparisons. The 1820’s were relatively uneventful, filled with Presidential controversies, so some things never change. This time frame did not really provide any meaningful insight into the future. All that history can effectively prove is that the sun rises and sets every single day.
I’m looking out at a gorgeous sunset over Punta Gorda Bay, as I continue to reflect on my retirement destiny. Will we find a home here in sunny Florida? Can we live in Florida without being directly on the beach, as my wife constantly bemuses? How close to the water is accessible enough to allow enough net savings for aggressive travel spending? We just added a night in Walla-Walla, Washington to our trip to Glacier National Park to stay at the historic Marcus Whitman Hotel. We’ll spend the night at several well-preserved properties on this 1500 mile round-trip drive, including reservations at The Davenport in Spokane, and both the Izaak Walton and Prince of Wales inside the park boundaries that extend over the Canadian line into British Columbia. We’re slowly adding details to our upcoming New Year adventures. Poor Tally, our schnauzer will once again be left behind with a sitter.
Once this decade speeds by, and I rapidly approach my 80’s, it’s important that we see as much as possible before the proverbial sun goes down. None of us knows if even tomorrow will come, let alone another ten years of life. It’s just a matter of how long the sunset will last, not to mention my legs. I started the year with a rough 3.1 miles after a late night of gluttony and gruel. I was up until 1:30 a.m., although granted only 10:30 Pacific Standard Time. A sugar high woke me up at about 4 a.m., as the sweet port and Bananas Foster finally left my stomach and entered the blood stream. The highlight of the first day of 2020 was when my wife finally got to meet my newest grand-girl. It was special to get all three grand-kids, my son, his wife, and my wife all at the same table – the whole famn damily! We’ll head for Orlando in two days following a couple of realtor appointments and a dinner reunion with one of my wife’s oldest friends. We’ll enjoy the sunset from their ocean-side home on Siesta Key.
