I’m feeling my age today as every breath seems painful. Yesterday, I wrote of “my last breath” (See Post #1241) that I hope is a long time in the future. I’m back on the hot seat, a heating pad that will hopefully loosen the stiffness in my hip. I still think that it’s the remnants of my cold, having settled in my muscles. I’ve complained of “Banister Butt” (See Post #619) after hours of sitting in one place and searching through the genealogy records of my ancestors. In this case, it’s “Burning Butt,” referring to the inflammation in my hip. I really need to see my chiropractor, but that would require the energy to drive to his office. 

With the exception of my morning run (now at 4,084 consecutive days), I did not leave the apartment yesterday until the final 10 p.m. dog outing. My energy levels are low, but did somehow manage to cook dinner for us last night. I went with one of my go-to recipes for pan-roasted brined pork chops. My wife picked-out some 3″ thick monsters at the store that got immediate approval from our dog Tally. She ignores her meal until we’re done cooking in anticipation of some samples. In her opinion, human food is far superior to what’s in her bowl. I agreed to cook once a week in retirement, but my wife still enjoys doing the shopping, so I’m really only doing half the job. Working in the kitchen is still the most stressful thing I now do. 

I also did some travel agent work yesterday, ordering our airline tickets for Florida in June and adjusting my wife’s hotel accommodations for a “girls only” side-trip to Savannah and Hilton Head. Before we head back home separately, the goal is to make arrangements to build our retirement home somewhere near the Gulf. We also mapped out plans for a cross-country car trip in August to my son’s house in Florida. We will ultimately leave our car at his place and fly home, the first step in the overall move from Portland. In the process, we’ll make stops in California, Arizona, Texas, Louisiana, and Alabama. This will include overnights in San Francisco, Cambia, Desert Springs, Marana, Marfa, Austin, New Orleans, Mobile, and Tampa. This will keep us busy between trips to Bali and Egypt. We’ll then be down to only one car for our final six months in Oregon.

I’m still too lazy to make the drive for this morning’s “coffee club” gathering, but will get to Buffalo Wild Wings for I.U. basketball later this afternoon. Hopefully, I can get my Blazin’ Rewards points dilemma resolved (See Post #1240), and watch a much-needed basketball victory. The “Leadership Group” will include our recently absent friend who originally inspired regular Friday meetings. He’s involved in a new job that doesn’t allow much lunch flexibility anymore, so it will be great to catch-up on his plans to build a country home and unload his Portland property. As a fellow baseball fan and card collector, my other buddies and I will get him up-to-date on our upcoming Spring Training reunion trip that now dates back 21-years. Play Ball!