With a little touch-up yesterday, I wrote three poems in one day, ending a nearly four-week non-productive streak. They were are variety of subjects including baseball, phobia, and love, with over 200 poems now listed on this blog. In fact, about 17% of all my daily posts contain a poem, a majority of which are humorous. I try not to get too serious about life, and my writing attempts to reflect this attitude. I also like to stay healthy so I can enjoy old age. 

I’m out of the apartment this afternoon to watch I.U. basketball take on Rutgers, expecting another loss. They’ve proven me wrong several times already this year, but I still can’t help being my pessimistic self. I’m returning to Buffalo Wild Wings, once a weekly hangout, but it’s been just under two months since my last visit. We typically drink Coors Light but we’re now on low- carb diets that favor mixed drinks. I’ve mockingly suggested a drinking game of a shot for each I.U. free throw missed, as the team continues to suffer with fundamentals. We’re fortunate to have thirteen wins and three losses, considering the massive offensive swings that we’ve somehow endured.

Our typically consistent Friday “Leadership Meetings” at Wild Wings have been regularly disrupted by new work, travel, and holiday schedules. I’ve got a number of gift cards and points to use, but it’s difficult to get people together at this time of year. I even scheduled a follow-up lunch with a long-lost high school friend this Friday at Buffalo Gap in Lake Oswego because it’s close to his home. It looks like future Friday meetings will have to be organized around late afternoon and weekend games, as opposed to lunch. Also, I’m now out of town at least one Friday every  month. In fact, I just scheduled a family trip to Kauai, Hawaii for December to fill-out the year. It’s Vegas in February, Phoenix and Dallas in March, April in San Francisco, Bali in May, Montana in July, and Egypt in October. That leaves June, August, September, and November for trips to Florida to find a permanent retirement home and visit my grand children. 

This year of retirement looks very productive from a travel standpoint. We’ll not be able to keep us this pace without breaking the bank, but my wife has sudden freedom from work and wants to take advantage of the opportunity. We’ll both eventually settle into home life, especially if it’s close to the beach. This year we just want to get out of rainy, cold Portland and see the world while we’re still old but healthy.