Unlike yesterday that was filled with errands, today will be relatively quiet. After my car narrowly missed being sideswiped by an unaware driver pulling out of a parking spot, it made me wonder why I even venture out sometimes. Commuting by car used to be an unpleasant daily adventure, but in retirement I now only drive a couple of days each week. It makes a big difference, as my tolerance and patience levels have noticeably deteriorated. What was once a necessity is now an inconvenience, as a round-trip to the doggy spa that normally takes 40 minutes stretched into an hour-and-a-half, with a close call. With the morning drop-off trip, I was able to leave after the rush hour, but I was unable to avoid it during the afternoon pick-up. On the other hand, the dogs are always happy to go for a ride. In the process, I took a piece of our luggage in to be repaired, stocked up on bottled water, went to the post office, and cleaned out my car.

I usually only enjoy driving with the top down, but the wet Portland weather isn’t usually very cooperative. I’ve had a couple of damp morning runs this week and the dogs have been limited to short walks, so they were exhausted from their monthly hair-cut and play-day outing. In their absence, I got some laundry and vacuuming done. Also Tally, our youngest Schnauzer, is afraid of the Roomba and barks incessantly when it runs, so I let it do its duty without her interference. Speaking of domestic responsibilities, today I’m about to start an Italian Beef concoction in the slow cooker since we have a friend driving in from the coast to stay the night for an early morning flight. We’ll undoubtedly go to the Home Field Grill for Happy Hour before I serve the sandwiches and tater tots. My wife didn’t sleep well again last night, so she will need the cooking break in lieu of a nap.

To most, these last couple of days being a home body probably sounds boring and uneventful. I actually enjoy it, plus it gave me time to follow-up on some hassles that we experienced last month. I expressed my dissatisfaction to both KLM/Delta airlines and Viking for various issues that affected our travel experience, hoping for some compensation. In other words, I have a “Beef “- and it’s not Italian. I’m typically not one to complain, but it’s the only job I have right now, and maybe I can earn some travel credits to supplement my Social Security and Pension income. You never know until you ask!