Emerging from the Cocoon (7/17/12): I would say I have now over-emerged. In fact, the cocoon (of the well-ordered, overly-structured and comfortable work life) has dried out and mostly withered away. You may think that the metaphor of a cocoon for work life is odd, but that's the way I felt about it. I had had things my way for most of my work life and certainly for the last few years. I was secure in my position, my philosophy, my surroundings and my workmates. It wasn't easy to leave that cozy set up (for which I was also well paid) for the somewhat scary unknown of freedom, leisure and a much longer list of choices to have everyday. But I made the plunge and, to be truthful, have never looked back.
Retirement is now the only life I remember personally participating in. The daily grind of the business world with its fast-paced schedule, behavioral constraints, frequent challenges, extensive travel and yes, stress, just seems like a long-running TV sitcom that I binge-watched for 40 years (I think the title was "The (Tax) Office" or "Not-So-Modern Family" or something like that).
In my first post I penned this short rhyme to describe my feelings as I entered retirement:
As he arose on July 31,
Charles wondered just what he had done.
"My Franklin is bare,
Not a task anywhere,
OMG - nothing left but the fun!"
I offer this update:
Ah, retirement is truly grand.
Even better than I had planned.Ah, retirement is truly grand.
The pace is slow,
And for me, you know,
That's about all I can stand.
The surprises they are so many,
With new stuff each day a-plenty.
I'm reasonably fit,
But readily admit,
I no longer feel like I'm twenty.
So with a smile I rise each day
Take my meds and head out to play.
Just glad to be,
Healthy and free,
With great friends to share the way.
Up North (8/15/12): Wiser Times had a tough winter, as did the exterior maintenance staff, as indicated by these shots.
The snow festival experienced at home this winter was matched or possibly even exceeded in the northern areas of the state. The snow removal event depicted above required three passes with my big honkin' snow blower to complete as the snow had crusted over at three different levels in the six weeks since we had been there. The two of us (me and Ariens) barely made it.
One other Up North experiment in process is our cancellation of cable TV at Wiser Times. You might think that this was a concession to the great outdoors, a move to get us out of the house and back to the beach and the lake. No. The truth is that our two-year introductory hi-def cable rate has expired and been replaced by a cable-company-typical highway robbery rate. So Nancy and I cancelled and invested in the necessary equipment to watch our Grosse Pointe cable TV remotely through the Internet (this would include Wiser Times or any locale in which we might find ourselves). So far, things are working out fine. The plan is to use our resulting savings to support our Wiser's Deluxe and cheese bread habits.
The Purge (8/30/12): In my last NFTL I indicated that my purge project had reached the home stretch, with the laundry room under-stair storage finally in my sights. I'm happy to report that the deed is done. The under-stair storage, formerly secured behind a shelf of cleaning supplies, was home for over 10 years to a number of family valuables. These included Grandma LeRoy's large drop-leaf dining table, several large boxes of toddler toys, a well-worn kids play table with two matching folding chairs, a couple of old desktop computers (I'm talking Windows 95), an old cedar chest, a bag of rags and a few other odds and ends. They have all been rescued and either re-purposed, re-stored in a more appropriate and accessible setting, or sent down the concrete mile to the curb (and possibly about to enter storage under the stair of a discerning trash picker). Here is a shot of the old storage area before its purge.
And here's the after picture, showing the transformation of the under stair area into a much needed and active storage space complete with a new Costco shelf. Yum. Eye candy to a compulsive organizer.
So the grand purge project is done. All usable space in the house, the cottage, the garage, the shed and the car has been "processed" and transformed to a higher plane of existence. I feel - efficient.
Except.....I just might have a drawer or two that could use a tiny bit of tidying. Or straightening. Or rearranging. I think. OMG. I may need help. Is there an OCD hot line out there?
Leaf Burning (12/1/12): Another unfortunate consequence of this year's harsh winter was that it started before we could rake and burn our leaves last fall. A steady, cold rain last November negated the clever "Tom Sawyer" weekend I had arranged to treat a couple of friends to the charming tradition of leaf burning. So the pesky leaves spent the entire winter digging in (and I think even multiplying) beneath the deep snow, seemingly knowing that Nancy and I were now on our own to do battle. Here are some shots of the mess,
and Wiser Times restored to its usual tidy state.
Not being one to give up easily on a good idea (especially one that could lighten my load), I've already booked a new team of leaf burners for a weekend early next November. And entertaining applications of any new parties that may be interested in this incredibly fun and rewarding activity. The fireside pizza and wings are on me.
Reading (10/2/12): Since commenting on this beloved hobby several months ago I've continued to read regularly plowing through several books, still alternating between fiction and nonfiction. Last summer I tackled (again) and finally made it through all seven Stephen King Dark Tower novels. I had made it through the first two and about half of the third several years ago, but was derailed from Roland the gunslinger's quest by competing interests. This time around, encouraged by my kids, I made it pretty smoothly through to the fourth installment Wizard and Glass, and I was hooked. Wizard and Glass provides a lot of back story on Roland and his world which helped me better understand the first three books. The fifth, sixth and seventh books are a wild ride to an interesting and thought-provoking ending. The story includes a mind-bending encounter between Roland and Stephen King himself wrapped around his real-life pedestrian encounter with a minivan. Pure King. For those of you who like epics, I highly recommend saddling up and riding with Roland and his "ka-tet" for their long journey through a variety of imaginative "wheres" and "whens".
On the non-fiction side I recently read Chris Mathews' account of John Kennedy's political career John Kennedy:Elusive Hero. I found it an interesting presentation of the relationships and conflicts between John, his father Joe and brother Bobby, their organizing tactics, and the underlying beliefs that motivated their politics. The book also provided some alternative perspectives on key events in Kennedy's presidency like the Bay of Pigs disaster and the Cuban missile crisis. I have also just completed a re-read of Dee Brown's Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, a history of the US Government's systematic destruction of the American Indians and their cultures. I read this enlightening book in the early 70s when it was first published. As I have read and watched a lot of "historical" fiction about the old west in recent years, I felt the need to do a little fact checking. I'm glad I did. The message of this book is hard to accept, but it has stood the test of time. A must for anyone interested in the history of 19th century America.
Vans (2/26/13): A little over a year ago I reported on the sale of the last of the six full-size conversion vans that had served as Burk Family conveyances. It had been replaced by a Chevy Traverse, which at that time had become the "new van". When its original license plate expired last August, the Traverse was awarded the TRPSRUS license plate formerly borne by the last full-size van. And this last month the Traverse received another promotion. It is now our only car. Since my Bride and I are almost always together - at home, at the cottage or on the road - we didn't see the need for a second car. So when our Equinox lease expired at the beginning of May, we just turned it in. The grand experiment is now underway and so far, it has worked out fine. But it has led to just one or two adjustments in my routine. One is that I often hear myself saying, "Sweetums, can I use the car for a couple of hours" :-)
Movie Westerns (3/25/13): A while back I learned that Sergio Leone made a third movie as part of his contract that resulted in the epics Once Upon a Time in America and Once Upon a Time in the West. It's called A Fist Full of Dynamite and is set against the backdrop of the Mexican revolution. It's subtitled Duck, You Sucker, which is a line uttered repeatedly in the film, but it should have been called Once Upon a Time in Mexico (that title of course now appropriately belongs to a Robert Rodriguez film, part of the Mariachi trilogy). The film is classic Leone, and in my opinion a worthy finale to the earlier films. Lingering closeups of interesting faces in deep but slow realization, drawn out scenes punctuated by haunting musical themes, and Leone's well-honed sense of ironic justice - all present and knit together with an interesting and gritty yarn. I watched with my good friend Tom from Chicago who suggested that it may have been a tad long (two and a half hours). I did have to admit that you could probably cut an hour out of the film without cutting a single scene. But to a Leone fan like myself, it was perfect. And available for loan to anyone with an appreciation for slow developing, can't-always-tell-who-the-bad-guys-are, dust-and-dirt westerns.
Well, that should do for now. Glad to be back online. Talk to you soon.
Grosse Pointe Charles
