May 30, 2007
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OK. I am trying my hand at this blogging thing again. You would think because I sit at a computer all day teaching online that I would have lots of blogging time, but it does not seem that way. Nevertheless, I enjoy Xanga, so I am going to give it a whirl again.
Dan is retiring soon, the day after tomorrow, in fact. I can hardly believe that that is happening. We have purchased a pontoon and will put it on a lake near here. We plan to spend many afternoons there. I think our kids will be using it, too, so it will be a pretty busy boat. I will put up some pictures of the launch when it happens.
In July, we are going up to the North Shore again with our kids and their families. That has become an annual tradition, as you can see if you look at my index over there on the right. We go up with friends at times, too. Here is a picture of a little chipmunk who joined us for breakfast when we were up there with our friends the Nelsons last summer. He did eventually climb right up onto Dan’s foot, but I do not have a picture of that. We take sunflower seeds (the kind packaged for animals, not the ones seasoned for humans) up there for the chipmunks, which might be why they are so friendly.
Later, I have to go to the last session of Targeted Services for the year. I work in that program after school two afternoons a week. Basically, I am a professional nag. In the program, we work with junior high students who are having problems with their school work. We help them or just make them work. Most of them are pretty intelligent kids, so it amazes me a little that it can be so difficult to get them to work, but it is. Hopefully, we are teaching them some good habits that will help them as they get older. Today we are having a party with sloppy joes, chips, Rice Krispie bars, Hershey’s kisses, and board games. Tomorrow is the last day of school, so studying is over for the year.
This evening, I will be chained to this computer because I am playing now. I will not be happy then, but I am having fun now, so I hope that it is worth it. I am finding it hard to work lately. I think that is partially because Dan is retiring and I can’t. I enjoy the work that I do, but I really would like to have the luxury of deciding not to do it. I would probably still work, but it would be so nice not to have to work. Oh, well!
Now, I had really better become productive or I will regret it later!
Comments (9)
nice to see you back….
What is Dan going to do in his retirement ? it must be great to be able to retire I have to wait another 13 years yet
That is very funny, the idea of you being a professional nag. Sometimes educators make it sound like there is some secret to helping kids learn, but in truth, it’s like the rest of life. You just have to do the work.
Ah, retirement! That is a goal I don’t think I will have the luxury of achieving. It would bother me. It’s hard enough when my husband is on vacation and I have to go to work. Hopefully he will take over more stuff at home so you don’t have to do that, too. That almost might be worth it!
The younger chipmunks here are especially fearless. I had one nearly run over my foot as I sat in the swing today. He came within inches, but he did scamper pretty quickly once he was past. I don’t encourage them by feeding them! I love to watch them but they are so destructive here, digging up plants and scattering mulch, chewing on anything the squirrels have left alone. Also, they empty feeders even more quickly than the squirrels, I think.
My wife and I were lucky enough to be able to retire at the same time (1985!) and we were able to spend the next several years traveling and doing all those things retirees dream about. It’s a good thing we retired when we were still young enough to enjoy all that (we were in our 50′s) because about six years ago my wife experienced a medical condition that led to a traumatic medical mistake that has left her pretty much disabled and along with my arthritis, has restricted our activities – one reason I spend all this time blogging
.
We still spend summers in our lake-side cabin in DownEast Maine but no more hiking and clambering over the rocks.
My suggestion: Retire as soon as you can, while you are still young enough to enjoy it!
A chipmunk story: In Maine during the sumer we have several resident chippies who apparently live under the bird feeder and catch the scatters. I had one who would eat from my hand – but he tended to nip if you ran out of seeds too quickly. They make strange noises.
Our most interesting non-feathered bird feeder visitors are flying squirrels. These tiny nocturnal varmints don’t seem alarmed by the flashlight when the are feeding even if you and the light are within a foot of them. With those big eyes and that loose overcoat they seem to be wearing, they are nature’s charmers.
Here in FL we have lots of squirrels, a resident possum and an armadillo who digs up the lawn hunting worms
good to see your back posting
Welcome back! I was beginning to think you had given up on Xanga entirely. Glad to hear that is not so.
Ken retired 5 yrs. ago. Since I was home all the time before that, it took some adjusting. But he does spoil me. Often makes meals, loves to do dishes and grocery shopping. These things way offset the few irritations that occur. He likes the house completely quiet. I always had the TV or music on to keep me company.
It is fun to be able to go whenever we want to, instead of just weekends or during the winter when there wasn’t masonry work. Your boat sounds like fun. I like pontoons.
Working behind a computer all day long is why my wife has never developed any interest in reading nor writing blogs. Me? I talk to people all day, and I like to talk, so blogging gives me the chance to do that (sort of) when she’s relaxing and reading a book… or watching that cable channel with all the girly fix-it up stuff.
Love the chipmunk pic!