How to fill time in retirement

This was my fourth year playing in the Member-Guest tournament held annually in August at the Neshobe Golf Club in Brandon Vermont. It is the main reason (but not the only one) for my travel by automobile to Vermont. My partner for the last three years has been my brother Tom, a member and worker at Neshobe. The first year I played with Jimmy Pratt. Sign at the clubhouse This year, 2016, was to be played on August 12-14. The weather was not looking good.  I had arrived to Middlebury on Wednesday, August 10. My brother Tom plays with a group on Thursdays so he invited me out. In actuality, Tom Anderson, Bill & Jim had asked if I wanted to play. I had watched Bill dump his golf hand-cart into the stream in a previous year. I think Tom Anderson has pictures but my brain does remember that image! Flowers growing at the First tee at Neshobe It was hot, the tee time was for 11 AM. I was playing with my brother Tom, and friends Paul Hogan and Jack Sheehan. Paul works the des...

I just returned from a two week vacation to North Carolina and Vermont, and posted on Facebook that I had returned safely home to Florida.  My friend Rocky Fucile wrote: How do you take a vacation from retirement? You're always on vacation! My initial response was: Vacation is when you leave your home and the drudgery of mowing lawns, shopping for groceries, vacuuming the floor, cleaning the house, doing bills (they do still keep coming even after no paychecks comes) and keeping up with all the "hobbies" you start...you need to try it Rocky! But it got me to thinking, which in itself is a dangerous thing. Corollary to Rocky's Thesis is "There is no thinking in retirement." The dream for most people is that retirement is a continuous vacation, but the reality is that it is NOT... Vacations takes planning, and scheduling, and telling people what is going on...retirement is the opposite of that...no plans, no schedule, no telling people that I spent t...

I have been sharing photos of my walks on the beach. I had set some bucket list goals at the beginning of the year and these  beach walks are part of one goal. Today's walk was different.... The walk almost did not happen because I was having problems finding the beach access I was looking for. Plus, cars are driving 45 on my tail and wondering why you are slowing down when they have such important places to go. Hell, we are near the beach and I was going to enjoy my walk. After going by the access 3 times, I finally found it with no cars behind me so I could turn. It is at the end of Atlantic Drive.... The crossovers down south in Brevard are steep with lots of steps. I did like the sign as you approached the ocean.... Signs on steps of crossover I guess the locals down here are turtles, especially the loggerhead sea turtle. It was a hot and sunny day and there was actually a breeze. The waves were bigger and the tide was higher than on previous walks. Higher tides make f...

Everybody has one every year. I know some people only have one every four years, but we typically celebrate our birth date each year and ponder the number of years we have been alive. As that number gets larger, we start to wonder where the years have gone. Celebrating a birthday is not a bad way to spend some time, even in retirement. My niece Lori had her Birthday on July 23, and had invited some friends via Facebook to a small party on Sunday evening, July 24. The event was going to be at Joe's Crab Shack, the one located in Sanford on Florida route 46.  I had never been to that establishment, or any other Joe's Crab Shack. Therefore, I was getting my new restaurant for the week. Double Whammy! My cousin Patti and niece Lori (Birthday Girl) My cousin Patti, who lives in Palm Bay, rode over with me to Sanford. The party was at 7 PM and we arrived at 6:45.  Lori said we would be outside on the patio next to the playground. Having never been to one of these places I sai...