I’m starting to look ahead to next week, and what I initially thought would be a return to normalcy.  Instead, it doesn’t look like normal will return until September.  I will start the week out by skipping “cleaning” day.  I got that out of the way today.  I will then return to my cooking duties and to Date Night, but the next day we take the train to Seattle.   I know it can be confusing when I don’t specify the days of the week in a traditional “MTWTFSS” manner, but frankly I don’t care what day of the week it is anymore!  I’m retired now, so every day is the same, except for the task that I have assigned to that day.  Once the trash goes out, the week starts, and it doesn’t end until the trash goes out again.  After 52 trash days, the year is complete, and it’s as simple as that!

From my working wife’s perspective, trash day ends her weekend and starts her work week every Monday.  I used to dread Mondays, but now it’s a favorite – along with all the other days of the week.  She knows that I cook on Tuesdays, we go out for Date Night on Wednesdays, and on her precious Weekends we give the dogs a thorough outing each morning.  This “normal” schedule is often interrupted by her vacations and business travels, that often times include me.  Until she retires, she’s the only one with limited travel time.  Mine is only limited by dollars!

Seattle was originally scheduled as a business trip, but the office that she works with there has suddenly changed personnel.  As a result, this three-day adventure will be strictly personal.  Amtrak leaves on her Thursday afternoon, interrupting my “errand day.”  It’s all very clear when you understand the “language of retirement”  (See Post #66)  My calendar is now strictly a translation device, bridging the communication gap between the workforce and the retired.  Days, Months, and even Years just don’t matter when you are retired!  I’m only 8 months into retirement, and already losing track of time.  I can’t imagine what it will be like in a few more years!

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers will perform at Safeco Field, along with the Lumineers on her Saturday night.  The concert was really my idea, so I’m at risk of her not liking it.  Tom Petty was actually a musical influence to Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites, founders of the Lumineers, so I’m sure they’re excited to be on the same bill.  Their first band name was actually, Free Beer, to help attract a bar crowd, and feature a classically trained cellist, Neyla Pekarek, who responded to a Craigslist ad.  They will be a great show-opener!

To fill the afternoon before the concert, we bought tickets to the Terracotta Warriors exhibit at the Pacific Science Center in Seattle.  These “Soldier-and-horse funerary statues” are in a collection depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China, who was buried with a terracotta army in 210-209 BCE to protect him in the afterlife.  Unfortunately, the afterlife turns out to be a museum in Seattle, the first stop on a world tour.  They were uncovered in 1974 by local farmers in Lintong District, Xi’an, Shaanxi province.  Four main pits were discovered and excavated.  Pit one contained the main army of more than 6,000 figures.  Pit two has cavalry and infantry units as well as war chariots.  Pit three is the command post with high-ranking officers, while Pit four was apparently left unfinished.  Over 100 of these artifacts will be on display in Seattle.

I remember when my dad retired, he often joked about being “older than dirt.”  The Terracotta Army has been marching underground for 2,200 years, and may very well be the oldest artifacts I’ve seen since my dad.  I look forward to our trip to Seattle, hanging out with a bunch of “old rockers” like myself and Tom Petty, then feeling a lot better about my age in comparison to the ancient warriors.  Did you know that Tom Petty worked briefly as a gravedigger?  He also hosted a XM Radio show called “Buried Treasure.”  I think I’m beginning to “unearth” a theme for our upcoming experience in Seattle!