NOT LONG AGO I WAS RUNNING A FEW ERRANDS WITH MY RED IRISH SETTER "JAZ". DURING THESE PARTICULAR EXCURSIONS I DRIVE TO THE VARIOUS LOCATIONS SUCH AS GROCERY STORE, PET SMART, TARGET ETC. HOWEVER, IF I GO TO PET SMART OF COURSE JAZ COMES IN WITH ME AND WORKS THE CROWD WHILE I GET DOG FOOD, TREATS, TOYS ETC. RARELY ANYONE PASSES BY WITHOUT COMMENTING ON HIS BEAUTY, HANDSOMENESS YADA YADA YADA. HE OF COURSE SITS AND GIVES THEM A HIGH FIVE OR HANDSHAKE (AT HIS WILL OF COURSE). HE USUALLY WANTS TO JUMP UP AND KISS THEM (STOPPING THIS PARTICULAR BEHAVIOR IS A WORK IN PROGRESS). IF I GO TO PET SMART, LOWES, OR HOME DEPOT HE DOES COME IN BUT OTHERWISE HE PATIENTLY WAITS IN THE CAR.
SORRY I DIGRESS. THIS ONE PARTICULAR DAY AFTER GOING TO PET SMART I DECIDED TO RUN INTO A STORE THAT I SHALL NOT NAME. I WAS ONLY DOING A FAST RUN IN AND CHECK ON A PARTICULAR ITEM AND THEN RUN OUT. A SWEET, FRIENDLY, SALESLADY NAMED "BARBARA" STARTED A CONVERSATION WITH ME ABOUT THE ITEM I WAS CONTEMPLATING. THEN I ASKED HER IF SHE WERE FULL TIME OR PART TIME. FROM THAT POINT I LEARNED A LOT OF INFORMATION IN SHORT ORDER. US GIRLIES USUALLY SHARE OUR LIVES EASILY WITH OTHER WOMEN.
BARBARA WAS A VERY NICE LADY AND I QUICKLY DETERMINED THAT SHE WAS VERY CLOSE TO MY AGE. SHE QUICKLY DIVULGED THAT WORKED PART TIME BECAUSE HER HUSBAND WHO HAD RECENTLY RETIRED HAD BEGUN TO DRIVE HER CRAZY. THE 24/7 TOGETHERNESS WAS SOMETHING THAT SHE IN PARTICULAR WAS HAVING TROUBLE GETTING USED TO. (HMMM)
SHE WENT ON TO DESCRIBE HER TORTURE, I MEAN LIFE PRIOR TO THE PART TIME JOB AS FOLLOWS: SHE WAKES UP (THERE HE IS) SHE FEELS THE NEED TO GET UP AND GET DRESSED AND PRESENTABLE BEFORE MAKING HIS BREAKFAST (PRIOR TO RETIREMENT HE GRABBED COFFEE AT A DRIVE THROUGH ON THE WAY TO WORK). THEN HE WANTS TO GO FOR A LONG WALK OR A RIDE SOMEWHERE (ACE HARDWARE,,,DOUBLE FUN). (HMMM). THEN WHEN THEY RETURN HE IS HUNGRY FOR LUNCH.(AFTER 40 YEARS TOGETHER NOW HE WANTS LUNCH EVERY DAY?????). OF COURSE OVER THE YEARS THEY SPENT MOST WEEKENDS TOGETHER BUT HE WAS GOLFING, FISHING ETC. SO SHE DID NOT HAVE TO MAKE 3 MEALS A DAY "EVER". ON WITH THE SCHEDULE. AFTER LUNCH AND CLEAN UP (HER CLEAN UP) SHE STARTS ON SOME HOUSEWORK WHILE HE FOLLOWS HER FROM ROOM TO ROOM TRYING OR NOT TRYING TO DISTRACT HER. IF SHE DECIDES TO WATCH A LITTLE TV PROGRAM IN THE AFTERNOON HE WANTS TO PLAY A GAME , ANY GAME, OR HAVE MEANINGFUL CONVERSATION . OMG THEN THERE IS PREPARATION FOR DINNER (HER PREPARATION OF COURSE). AFTER DINNER THERE IS ANOTHER LONG WALK. THEY ARE BOTH INTO HEALTHY LIVING SHE ASSURES ME. BY THIS TIME EACH DAY SHE IS LOOKING FORWARD TO A LITTLE QUIET TIME TO WORK ON PROJECTS, WATCH TV, READ A BOOK ..................WHATEVER. THERE HE IS BORED AND LOOKING AT HER FOR FUN, ATTENTION, ...... THE FRIENDS HE USED TO HUNT WITH, GOLF WITH ETC. ARE EITHER NOT RETIRED YET OR IF RETIRED THEIR WIFES NEED THEIR ATTENTION .
NOW I HAVE HEARD THIS STORY BEFORE, THE NAMES HAVE CHANGED BUT THE STORY IS ALWAYS THE SAME. SOMETIMES THE WOMEN I HAVE HEARD THIS FROM ONLY MAKE UP FAKE ERRANDS TO RUN SO THEY CAN JUST BROWSE IN A STORE FROM TIME TO TIME RATHER THAT TAKING ON A PART TIME JOB.
TO BE FAIR TO THE MALE POPULATION, I AM SURE IT IS QUITE A SHOCK TO BE RETIRED AT FIRST ALSO. ESPECIALLY IF THEY HAVE NOT CULTIVATED SOME TYPE OF HOBBY OR RECREATION TOGETHER OR ALONE OVER THE YEARS. BUT THIS CONVERSATION WAS ABOUT BARBARA X SO I AM ONLY GIVING HER SIDE OF THE STORY HERE.
I LEFT THE STORE EMPTY HANDED BUT WITH SOMETHINGS TO PONDER AS I DROVE HOME AND A FEW TIMES SINCE. ALTHOUGH I DO NEED TO FIND A PART TIME JOB FOR 1 OR 2 DAYS A WEEK IT IS FOR THE MONEY AND NOT FOR AN ESCAPE TO OR FROM ANYTHING OR ANYONE . UPON FURTHER PONDERANCE OF MY CONVERSATION WITH BARBARA IT HAS SINCE BECOME HUMOROUSLY CLEAR TO ME THAT MY DOG JAZ IS BARBARA'S HUSBAND............
THE SENIOR EXPERIENCE WILL TAKE US DOWN MANY ROADS AND TRAILS LEADING TO ADVENTURE. WHEN WE WERE YOUNG WE COULD NOT SEE NOR IMAGINE THE END OF ANY OF THE ADVENTURES WE BEGAN............. NOW HOWEVER IT IS DIFFERENT. THE DIFFERENCE, FOR ME AT LEAST, IS THOSE GLIMPSES AND A TREPIDITION AND YES I WILL SAY IT, .............A FEAR,....... OF THE IMPENDING END OF THE JOURNEY AND THE ADVENTURES.........
I HAVE COME TO THE END OF TODAYS BLOG. SEE YOU SOON. I MUST NOW TAKE JAZ FOR A WALK. HE HAS PATIENTLY WAITED AND WATCHED WHILE I WROTE THIS STORY.
CAIO.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Friday, January 7, 2011
CONSPIRACY THEORY
What I am about to suggest can not be proven yet or maybe ever. Today while I was at the end of my driveway shoveling a giant snow burm ( wide and riddled with glacier chips-you get the picture ) thinking many different thoughts, the following came to mind:
When the County Plows the residential streets, why do they block all of the driveways with huge piles of snow?
When I complained (not just for me but for the greater good of all people(mostly old people), I was told that the City/County can not afford the type of blades that they can life up and down giving them the ability to not block us in. (that of course is total BS). I remember a few years back when the City spent a million dollars to shuffle desks/offices/people around in City Hall. Could we not tap into that fund to buy new trucks???
Onto my theory, please give this some thought. Real Estate Sales are down. Property Values are way down. Now here comes winter. We have lots of snow and we are plowed in over and over again. Young people can get out there and shovel. It is hard for them also when it so hard, icy and frozen tight. Think of the elderly and aging. If they can not afford to hire it out (and get ripped off) what can they do. They may not have family or they may not want to burden their family. They are stuck. They may decide to sell right now before they age further and feel that they would not survive many more of these bad winters. Ok, they now decide to sell (at a loss most likely) and there we go the Spokane Real Estate thus the City/County will prosper. Builders will be remodeling the sold homes, furniture stores will be putting in new furniture and on and on it goes. Things will be looking up for old Spokane. All done by the City/County for the City/County.
Remember these are the same people who booted Retailers out of the old River Park Square so that it would look like the mall was vacant enough to be eligible for federal funds to rebuild a bigger better more prosperous mall?????? Oh yeah....!!!! (allegedly)
Laugh as you may but I am just saying............ That is my theory and I am sticking to it.
This all began when I took my dog Jaz out to his designated potty place. As I crossed my front yard. I looked out to the end of my driveway and saw my garbage cans. I need to go get them, I thought ,since the g. truck came earlier. THEN I SAW THE GIANT BURM. I was ticked off. Yesterday I spent almost a long hard hour shoveling my driveway. Then more time shoveling my front walk. NOW THE BURM?. How did I not hear that truck. Not that it matters, was I really going to run out there yelling STOP, STOP. I think not, however, many times I have pictured myself doing so. What can I say, I can be very silly.
So for today I will take solice in the JOY that I felt as I lited that last shovel full of snow. I refuse to even let the dred of the next burm enter my thoughts.
caio
When the County Plows the residential streets, why do they block all of the driveways with huge piles of snow?
When I complained (not just for me but for the greater good of all people(mostly old people), I was told that the City/County can not afford the type of blades that they can life up and down giving them the ability to not block us in. (that of course is total BS). I remember a few years back when the City spent a million dollars to shuffle desks/offices/people around in City Hall. Could we not tap into that fund to buy new trucks???
Onto my theory, please give this some thought. Real Estate Sales are down. Property Values are way down. Now here comes winter. We have lots of snow and we are plowed in over and over again. Young people can get out there and shovel. It is hard for them also when it so hard, icy and frozen tight. Think of the elderly and aging. If they can not afford to hire it out (and get ripped off) what can they do. They may not have family or they may not want to burden their family. They are stuck. They may decide to sell right now before they age further and feel that they would not survive many more of these bad winters. Ok, they now decide to sell (at a loss most likely) and there we go the Spokane Real Estate thus the City/County will prosper. Builders will be remodeling the sold homes, furniture stores will be putting in new furniture and on and on it goes. Things will be looking up for old Spokane. All done by the City/County for the City/County.
Remember these are the same people who booted Retailers out of the old River Park Square so that it would look like the mall was vacant enough to be eligible for federal funds to rebuild a bigger better more prosperous mall?????? Oh yeah....!!!! (allegedly)
Laugh as you may but I am just saying............ That is my theory and I am sticking to it.
This all began when I took my dog Jaz out to his designated potty place. As I crossed my front yard. I looked out to the end of my driveway and saw my garbage cans. I need to go get them, I thought ,since the g. truck came earlier. THEN I SAW THE GIANT BURM. I was ticked off. Yesterday I spent almost a long hard hour shoveling my driveway. Then more time shoveling my front walk. NOW THE BURM?. How did I not hear that truck. Not that it matters, was I really going to run out there yelling STOP, STOP. I think not, however, many times I have pictured myself doing so. What can I say, I can be very silly.
So for today I will take solice in the JOY that I felt as I lited that last shovel full of snow. I refuse to even let the dred of the next burm enter my thoughts.
caio
Thursday, January 6, 2011
"Practice Interview"
Ok, I was not going to be back so soon but after I put the finishing touches on my first post I thought I would ask my Irish Setter a few questions just to get his take on the aging process. He is waiting for his dinner so this will be short. Actually, his answers were very short also. In fact his answer to each question was, a tail wag, accompanied by a couple of barks and running back and forth to his food dish. But he did say that his greatest joy in life is running with me behind him. So there it is more Joy for me.
until next time. Caio
until next time. Caio
WHAT EXACTLY IS A SENIOR CITIZEN?
Hello, my name is Kerry Justice. I am a Senior Citizen. I am wondering what exactly that is. Does it mean that I am special, dangerous, wild and crazy? I will be on an investigative search for the answer to this question and many other questions. I will research by inapproprietly asking personal questions of some of the people that I meet in my daily travels. I will search the internet. I will ask friends and enemies(kidding about the enemies).....
Some of the questions I will ask are:
(1) As you have aged, what is your greatest joy? What is your greatest fear?
(2) What does it mean for you to be a "Senior Citizen?
(3) Do you think we should get a discount at the Grocery Store?
(4) Shouldn't the Senior Discount be much,much bigger?
(5) As you have aged what in life keeps you young in heart and soul?
(6) What is the one thing that you would go back and change if you could?
(7) Who do you love?
(8) What is your Dream now and What was your Dream in youth?
I myself have Joy in my life. Joy comes to me in the form of my loving and caring children, their spouses (whom I think of as my children also) . I am filled with Joy when I think of, talk to and spend time with my wonderful, extraordinary and special six grandchildren , their dogs and cats and my joyful Irish Setter. I also receive Joy from my brother, his wife (my close friend) their son and his son. Joy also comes to me in the memories of my beloved Mother and Father. And last but not least Joy is given freely to me by my wonderful friends.
With all of the Joy in my life one would say that I must be greedy to search for more. However, greedy as it may be,,I wish for more, more joy, more smiles, more more laughs, conversations, time and love, more fun , for others and for myself.
Please tell me that Old Age is the new Middle Age.... I am looking for Joy but I believe that it will come in moments and not hours, days or weeks. As I travel on this Journey of Enlightenment I will pass it on in this blog. It may help someone, or illicit a smile or laugh. Humor is a gift and I want lots and lots of it. Oh I believe I just found something else I wish for. Will I ever stop wishing? Hopefully not.
I will sign off for now. Remember Old is Gold.
Some of the questions I will ask are:
(1) As you have aged, what is your greatest joy? What is your greatest fear?
(2) What does it mean for you to be a "Senior Citizen?
(3) Do you think we should get a discount at the Grocery Store?
(4) Shouldn't the Senior Discount be much,much bigger?
(5) As you have aged what in life keeps you young in heart and soul?
(6) What is the one thing that you would go back and change if you could?
(7) Who do you love?
(8) What is your Dream now and What was your Dream in youth?
I myself have Joy in my life. Joy comes to me in the form of my loving and caring children, their spouses (whom I think of as my children also) . I am filled with Joy when I think of, talk to and spend time with my wonderful, extraordinary and special six grandchildren , their dogs and cats and my joyful Irish Setter. I also receive Joy from my brother, his wife (my close friend) their son and his son. Joy also comes to me in the memories of my beloved Mother and Father. And last but not least Joy is given freely to me by my wonderful friends.
With all of the Joy in my life one would say that I must be greedy to search for more. However, greedy as it may be,,I wish for more, more joy, more smiles, more more laughs, conversations, time and love, more fun , for others and for myself.
Please tell me that Old Age is the new Middle Age.... I am looking for Joy but I believe that it will come in moments and not hours, days or weeks. As I travel on this Journey of Enlightenment I will pass it on in this blog. It may help someone, or illicit a smile or laugh. Humor is a gift and I want lots and lots of it. Oh I believe I just found something else I wish for. Will I ever stop wishing? Hopefully not.
I will sign off for now. Remember Old is Gold.
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