We went to see the movie, Free Guy, for “Matinee Monday” yesterday. Both the acting and special effects were excellent. That’s four weeks in a row we’ve been able to use our Regal Unlimited passes. We also bought tickets to see Jackson Browne, another fellow Septuagenarian, in Tahoe when we go in two weeks. Our resort in nestled in the Heavenly Mountains not too far from Caesar’s Palace and the Outdoor Arena at Harvey’s. We’ll make additional plans for our time together with my wife’s daughters and their spouses, including hiking and dining. I will welcome cooler temperatures for my morning runs, since this week there’s also been a cloud cover to hold in the steamy conditions. It’s all I can do to finish the 3.1 mile trek. Several of the regulars on the path have been missing this month, obviously escaping the August Florida heat in perhaps a cooler climate. 

Chez51 is the destination for my 70th birthday party tonight with my son and his wife. The “51” is appropriate since it’s the year of my birth. We’ve also dined at Grill 1951 for the same reason, as the countdown to seventy continues. As a friend aptly pointed out, I will soon have made it through the Sixties twice. I should have buttons made similar to the “Just Turned 21 for the Third Time” that I had produced for my 63rd. “Over The Hill” is also certainly appropriate for the occasion, as it was for birthdays 40, 50. and 60. The hill keeps getting steeper. It seems amazing to have lasted this long, although many memories have been lost. I got a note from a childhood neighbor wondering if I remembered when my dad and I ran into him at Comiskey Park in Chicago. Sadly, I didn’t recall!

We’re having some drywall work done today after the mirrors were removed from both bathrooms last week. My wife didn’t want to have to clean those  massive surfaces, opting for custom mirrors that we would install. The builder mistakenly added them despite our request, so it’s patching today and painting tomorrow. There are a few more warranty  issues that will need to be taken care of before the one-year anniversary of moving in transpires next April. Our repaired furniture from moving damage will also be delivered this week and LED lighting will be added under the kitchen counters. Things are coming together for our first guest next weekend. After that, it’s a parade of family of friends into the new year. We’re looking forward to having overnight company again now that we have a guest room. 

The Sixties the first time around included high school, dating, learning to drive, drugs, concerts, Viet Nam, and the transition to college. The second time around included travel, Medicare, Social Security, retirement, moving cross-country, social unrest, and Covid. I’m looking forward to turning seventy and living through the Seventies again. Those last few years of each decade of life have been challenging in anticipation of another milestone. I expect that the next five years will go by very quickly until I then start thinking about turning eighty, leaving the Seventies behind for the second time. These “Double Decades” double the pleasure of life!