In a previous blog, I explained how I got started with this form of communication. In a nutshell, it began as a series of daily emails requested by my brother, Jack, so he could vicariously accompany Diane and me on our USA Tour in 2010. I’m not in a band, so that isn’t some sort of concert tour – it was a leisurely 70 day, 11,000 mile trek around the country.

Since Diane did most of the driving, I provided a mile-post-by-mile-post narrative of what I was seeing as we plodded down various freeways and byways. Each day my email list grew to encompass friends, then friends of friends, and some previously complete strangers. I was using my iPad with 3G to communicate and had to buy an app to create email groups which worked OK for the duration of the trip.

Once we returned home, I stopped the emails thinking the trip was over until my recently departed brother, Lyle, asked why I stopped. He was still interested to know what was going on. Honoring his request, I started a blog so I wouldn’t have to worry about email addresses. It was a good choice.

That’s the history of the beginning … as the days past, I found that my daily life wasn’t all that interesting so, assuming the mantle of a writer, I decided to embelish it a bit using literary license … just like a real writer might. Not only did that give me permission to let my mind wander off track, as it normally wants to do, it allowed me to simply tell lies about things I did or did not do.

Most of my previous entries contained a lot of information about how badly I was treated at home by my wife, who controlled me by way of punishment and permission. Sadly, that had to end because she finally pointed out that she considered it wife-bashing, something I hadn’t considered. I figured that, since we’ve been married for 44 years, she might have just brushed it off as another one of the stupid things Jerrie does, and understand that I was mostly lying. It was a sad day, quitting that line of thinking, because it ended a way for me to purge my brain of excess random words clogging my output circuits and an exercise that evolved into a challenge for me to string together in a coherent manner, no matter how long a sentence might be. For some odd reason, I find using commas easier than using periods. Weird.

So, “Now,” you may ask, “why do you continue blogging?”

The simple answer is that it’s become a habit, something I have to do every day because I have the perceived notion that people are reading what I have to say even though there is no deep meaning to anything I write about. It’s still my main form of communication with my family, but it’s spread a bit. I’ve learned that it’s probably because of the title I give my blogs, not the content which is more entertaining to those who know me … they are supposed to at least make you smile, and wonder, “who is this idiot?” Then you tell all your friends and family to check it out to see if they can make sense of it … then they tell their other friends and family … and it  will eventually evolve into a book deal that will generate enough income for me to get a new lawnmower. I’d really rather have one of those small Kubota tractors with a front loader and a tiny backhoe because my lawnmower works just fine.

Sorry. I slipped a gear there and started rambling. Or, is that what I do all the time? Probably. Sometimes it’s difficult to concentrate because I can visualize all the letters of the alphabet rushing to the ends of my fingers, in accordance with a standard QWERTY keyboard, wanting to be used immediately! Once in a while I’ll throw them a curve ball and use the wrong finger for one of the letters. This throws all those letters into a state of confusion, creating a panic as a letter is re-routed to a different finger, causing those remaining to look over their shoulders, waiting to see who’s next. Keeps them on their toes, it does.

In the end, I blog because I’m now totally addicted to sharing totally useless information with anyone willing to read it. Actually, it isn’t important for anyone to read it because it’s all about satisfying the WordPress indicator telling me I only have 5 more blogs to go to reach 140. Once that’s satisfied, it goes to 145. It eggs me on for no reason other than causing me to use more storage space. One of these days I’ll have to buy the upgrade they offer in order to ensure I have enough space to continue … if I live long enough.

Again, I ramble. It must be time to end this one and go work on that stump in the back yard before my VA appointment.

Greetings, my Family, Friends, and Assorted Other People …

The initial purpose of this blog was to keep family and friends apprised of current events while travelling around the USA in 2010. That was right after I retired, for good, the second time. This has evolved, however, into a challenge for me to provide humorous updates about our routine life while at home, where not a lot happens except work, work, work.

On a positive not, the work is by my schedule, not the clock’s. I’ve documented a typical day in previous posts that, if anyone was paying attention, wasn’t worth reading at all. If you didn’t read it, I applaud you. It’s obvious you value your time. It’s important to me, however, that everyone acquire this information in order to plan ahead for their own retirement. I think I’m a good example of what retirement ‘looks’ like. My older brother, Jack, isn’t because last week he worked 84 hours, and is going for another 72 hours this week. After that they’re making him take a one day break, then he can do it again. What a life. So, he can work 13 out of 14 days during his old plant’s scheduled maintenance shutdown. I must add that Jack doesn’t normally do this. Most days when you ask him what day it is he’d answer “June”, unless it was May.

Here’s how my day goes, using today as a good example because all the company is gone … when you’re retired and have company, the schedule just goes out the window.

0430 – the dogs woke me up, but that was my fault because I fed them late last night. When I heard them stirring I dragged myself from yet another dream I won’t remember and stumbled to the back door. The cat remained on the bed where she had Diane trapped against the edge of the bed, giving me lots of room to flail in the night, but she finally made it when I opened the door so the dogs could return. While the animals are outside, I fix their food bowls which is their incentive for returning to the house promptly after doing whatever it is they had to do.

Since the cat was outside, I could safely put Ozzie’s in his kennel, his safe place, without fear of it being gobbled up before he got his fill. I discovered this morning, however, that the cat prefers dry food to pouch food because she stuck her nose in Panzee’s bowl, while Panzee was eating, and walked away after a couple of sniffs. Panzee didn’t miss a bite and totally ignored the cat.

0435 to 0436 – Panzee finished eating and laid down for her nap. Ozzie takes his time, and usually only eats half a pouch. I give it all to him, however, because if I put it in the refrigerator it might wind up in a sandwich. Confident that I won’t be bothered for a little while, I reclined on the couch in my normal, daytime position, when I’m on the couch. It didn’t feel right that early in the morning, however, so I went prone, propping my head on the arm. It’s pretty comfortable. Normally, I take a post-breakfast nap but, since I got up so early, I took a pre-breakfast one.

0436 to 0830 – struggled from my pre-breakfast nap, and immediately ate a banana to get my finger joints working. I also made coffee because I could hear noises from the east wing indicating Diane was rousing from sleep. Still, I took the coffee grinder to the garage to eliminate as much noise as possible from invading the interior of the house. It’s a prudent thing to do. If I’m on the couch, asleep, when she awakes, and she makes the coffee, the grinder serves well as an alarm because it is activated within 25 feet of my location. It’s pretty loud. If I was sick, in bed, she would retreat to the garage to do this, as do I every morning that I make coffee.

0830 to 0857 – my BS level was 107. That’s for blood sugar, not what you’re thinking. Coffee made, and first cup consumed. We both had toast and cereal – me Cheerios and her something else. The toast was burned on one side, which doesn’t bother me at all, because we each only had one piece and the toast was placed on the inner slice holders of a 4-slice toaster. Interesting, but logical.

0857 to 0915 – started thinking about what I should do this morning.

0915 to 1000 – decided to permanently install the vent cover I placed over the bathroom vent on the RV.

1000 to 1020 – found the brackets and put them on the RV roof.

1020 to 1025 – back to the basement for my drill.

1025 to 1040 – back to the RV roof with drill.

1040 to 1045 – back to the basement for a pencil.

1045 to 1100 – back to the RV roof with the pencil.

1100 to 1115 – back to the basement for longer bolts because those provided were too short.

1115 to 1158 – back to the RV roof after finding a variety of longer bolts in a pile of random bolts and screws in the pile on the floor. That’s where I keep them because it’s easier to dig around in the pile on the floor than to dig around in a box. If Diane would have been home I would have gone to ACE for new ones but she wasn’t so I didn’t.

1158 to 1200 – discovered that it had rained hard while searching for bolts and that with the vent wide open less moisture than expected actually reached the inside of the RV. I also learned that my cordless drill still worked just fine despite being exposed to a torrential downpour.

1200 to 1215 – Diane returned home and assisted me by opening the vent all the way so I could install the vent cover brackets so I wouldn’t have to go back down the RV ladder because my knee hurts. A lot.

1215 to 1245 – brackets and cover installed. Removed all tools, and leftover hardware from roof. I’m sure it won’t blow off as long as I drive with the wind.

1245 to 1300 – worked on computer while waiting for Diane to make me lunch. She insisted even though I offered to make hers and mine.

1300 to 1415 – post-lunch rest period. Researched cheap little cars on the internet.

1415 to 1500 – post-research rest period. Read a bit in my iPad book selection.

1500 to 1530 – rode with Diane to 1st Lutheran Church where she was going to work Community Meals. She does this regularly. On my way home she called to report they kicked her out and that I should return for her, which I did.

1530 to 1600 – wrote this stupid blog entry which wore me out.

1600 to TBD – post-blog nap. First, however, here are a couple of pictures of the work Lydia and I did yesterday … as well as how good Breezie and Panzee get along …