2015 Part 1

I think it's time to start a new ADIP tradition - an annual "year in review" post. Something to tie up the old year and tuck it neatly in the drawer. Making space for all that fun waiting in the new year.

And, there's another good reason for doing this. During my work life, especially after 1991 when I left the IRS Collection Division and went to the Quality Office, the question I most heard from others was "Just what do you do, Mr. Burk?" I always felt that the question was posed in a tone that was really asking, "Do you actually do anything, Mr. Burk?"

I learned early in my IRS career that looking busy, important and concerned was just as useful (if not more so) than actually being any of those things. So my response to this thorny question was usually something like "I could tell you, but I'd need a slide presentation and a laser pointer." Then I would quickly duck into my office and fake being on a conference call until the inquirer tired of waiting for me and moved on. Sometimes, you just have to outlast hardships.

So, as an effort to be more forthcoming about "what I really do" in retirement, what better medium to employ than the blog. So here goes. It'll likely take more than one post to cover the great breadth of my productive goings on over the last year. Ergo, the Part 1.

January

For many years (since the mid-90's I would guess) Nancy and I and the kids have spent a couple of weeks in Florida over the holidays. We would visit my parents, see friends, often drop by a Disney resort for awhile, and generally recharge for the new year. Things haven't changed much since retirement other than we now only pack for two. Last January, after spending New Year's with our friends the Dyles on Captiva Island, we headed over to Disney's Bay Lake Tower for a couple of days with my mother Dolores and sister Wendy. Here are a few shots from The Happiest Place on Earth. First, of my mother and me continuing the family cribbage tradition (see previous post Hanging with the Ps).

Next, a shot of me, Mom and Wendy sitting on the Bay Lake Tower dock, waiting for a boat ride to the Magic Kingdom.

And my Bride and I enjoying the bus ride to Disney's Market Place.

Here's a final shot of my computer-savvy mother checking her laptop for emails from the grand kids or any updates on Tiger bull pen signings.

Upon returning to Michigan in mid-January, Nancy and I headed up to Wiser Times to check things out. First, a shot of the new garage taking shape, right there in the midst of winter (see previous post The Barn).

Wiser Times is a fun place in the winter. There aren't many people around (read none), and the main entertainment is watching the lake thaw by lunch and refreeze by happy hour. But you have to like peace and quiet to really enjoy it. Here's a shot of the house in winter,

and winter, from the house.

Late in January, we rescued this little darling from the K-9 Stray Rescue League.

We named her Coco. It took about 30 minutes for her to work her way into the heart of this family, as shown in this shot from the day we picked her up.

The month ended with a session of our Music Night Federation tech team, which meets between each of our musical evenings to burn and package the collections from the previous event (see previous post Music Night). It's a crack squad, with everyone coming to The Lab prepared to perform their various functions with a high degree of skill. Here's a shot of the key players - myself, Quinton "Graphics" Anderson, and Jim "Disc Man" Wyatt.

And a shot of me fulfilling my primary function (the same basic role that earned me all of those rude questions from my IRS coworkers).

February

February was a slower-paced month, but it had its moments. It started with a big snow storm rivaling the blows of 2014. Here I am with my arsenal of snow tools, fresh from a victory round.

Coco continued to charm us with her playful personality. This was an early sighting of what we now call her "dead mouse" position.

And a couple more typical poses.

I'm getting the idea that this dog fits my personality just right. But she likes activity, too, especially around her 4:00 pre-dinner frenzy period. Here's a shot of Coco and her main caregiver enjoying a winter walk on the beach. She loves the snow (Coco, not the caregiver).

One development that was less charming than our new puppy was a semi-frozen pipe in our attic. It didn't turn out too badly, as the application of some heat tape and cleaning out the faucet filter solved the problem. But crawling through umpteen inches of insulation in the unheated attic while toting the necessary tools and supplies, in fairly close quarters, was a more demanding chore than I have become accustomed to. Here's a rare pic of me in full Mr. Fix-it mode.

March

In March we headed back to Florida, as is our way. This time we had a rare passenger - Coco. My mother wanted to meet her, so along she came. Here she is in her travel suite.

Coco turned out to be an excellent rider, snoozing in her cozy nest with out a whimper or growl during the entire 1200 mile trek. Unfortunately, Coco didn't make it to Disney, our ultimate destination this trip. Instead she spent a few days at Happy Tails, the Florida kennel that services her Uncle Baxter, my mother's Boston terrier.

Shed of the dogs, the family headed over for a stay at Disney's Bay Lake Tower, the Vacation Club facility near the Contemporary Resort. Most of our theme park time was spent at the Magic Kingdom as my grandchildren Leili and Cyrus were in tow. Here's a shot of us in line for Thunder Mountain. At Disney, enjoying yourself in line is a critical skill.

After several hours cruising the park, we headed back for a dip in the Bay Lake Tower pool, the grand kids favorite venue of the whole visit.

We returned to the park later that day, hitting the new Fantasy Land area until we couldn't take it anymore. Here's a shot of the big kids on Dumbo, always a crowd pleaser.

We ended the trip to Disney with a party in the room, enjoying one of the family's favorite dishes, homemade tacos.

We closed with the customary family photo, this one covering four generations. In front from left to right is Cyrus, Ted, Leili, Dolores and sister Wendy. Behind is myself, Christy, Nancy, sister Cindy, Cathy and Matt.

We finished up this visit to the Sunshine State with a few days on Captiva Island with our friends the Dyles and the Wyatts. Here is a shot of Dave (on the left) and Jim, manning the BBQ.

And a shot of the group, from left to right yours truly, Robyn, Jim, Nancy, Dave and Mary.

April

April saw us back at our homesteads, recovering from the cold weather. Coco continued her adjustment to life with the Burks, as this shot of her helping with the annual cottage leaf burning shows,

as well as this pic of her helping with a texting problem on my so-last-century, slide-out-keyboard dumb phone.

The high point of the month was traveling to Austin for the wedding of our dear friends Sue Gallego and Jesse Villegas. I was honored to have prepared and delivered the music for the wedding and the reception, with generous input from the musically-enlightened happy couple of course. Here is a shot of Sue and Jesse walking down the aisle. Well, actually, it was a garden walkway.

And taking their vows in this beautiful hillside outdoor chapel.

The reception was held a couple of days later at Sue and Jesse's home. Here's a pic of Sue (in front) visiting at our table of good friends, from left to right around the back Leah (daughter of Jan and Miguel Rodriguez), Miguel, Gary and Dawn Hill, Nancy and Jan. A very good time was had by all.

What is not pictured here is that shortly after this photo was taken, Sue and Jesse arranged to have a hail storm completely blow down the tent canopies on the deck, forcing the party goers to run for cover. But with the help of my trusty iTunes library and the couple's new Boom Bucket (a stand alone speaker system that was our little groups' wedding present to the newlyweds), we were able to continue the party on into the night indoors (the house stereo that had been re-wired out to the deck for the gathering was totally trashed by the hail). It was a night to remember.

On a less amorous note, I did have another run in with a household issue that required the use of tools. When we tried to install the new stove we bought for the cottage, we discovered that the new stove had no recess in its rear panel to accommodate the roughly 3" by 6" 220 volt plug box hanging out of the wall at the rear of the stove cavity. To fit the stove into its rightful place, I had to attack the wall with a hammer and chisel and carve out a recess in the wall to house the plug box. Here are some shots of the before and after. Surprisingly, it turned out well without any need of medical supplies.

The great plug caper, as we call it in the family, was quickly followed by the great stove hood caper, which also required me to exceed expectations. The new stove, now nested neatly in its niche, was begging for an upgrade to the unattractive, dingy black, thrift-store-grade stove hood. So, breaking with tradition, I leapt into the breach, actually read some instructions, and wrestled that tricky little devil into place. Here's the proof.

April also saw the completion of our new barn, including the inside construction of the bonus room, which we have dubbed "the loft". Here's a final shot for April of Nancy and I having our first Wiser's happy hour in our new digs. So glad it was finally done.

Well, that's quite enough for 2015 Part 1. And for those of you who have actually wondered just what Mr. Burk does, you now know what a busy little fellow I can be, when I'm not careful. I need to work on that.

Part 2 coming soon.