Monthly Archives: October 2017

28

Oct. ’17

Fun, Fun, Fun

In the waning years of life, a senior should experience the pleasures that long, hard labor is all about. A senior should get off their “duff” and go places, do things that they did not have the time to do as they worked during their younger years. As it have been said during days of old and is still said today, “you only live once”, or another way, “you only have one life”.

My wife and I are trying to have the best time of our lives because tomorrow is not promised and, with the kids having their own life and finances, we worked for it and now we will have fun, spend it anyway we want. Many people will call this selfish but I call it enjoying life as a retiree and when the kids become a senior, they will have their time.

The last couple of weeks have been nothing but fun and travel, not necessarily in that order. We were on a wine tasting in the Blue Ridge with the Imperial Plaza family, good food in Charlottesville, Va. afterward. It was great because a good friend (we were in the military together) ate with us. This friend and I met in the ’70’s and have been friends since.

A few days later, my wife and I went on a Sunshine Bus Tours trip from Richmond, Va. to Dover Downs, Delaware for a day and night of casino fun. I didn’t win much but had fun and was ready for the next stop which was Foxwood Casinos/Resort in Connecticut. Two nights and days of running through the many casinos and three huge hotels plus the outlet mall (all under one roof). We didn’t have time to go off site to the other casinos like we have done the last two times nor did we go into Newport, RI. Plenty of fun and we both won a little.

After we returned the next day (last night) there was the Halloween Costume Party here at Brookdale Imperial Plaza. Fun, fun and more fun, music, food and wine. My wife and I won best costumes as I was Mark Anthony and she was Cleopatra. The place was full; lots of fun and laughter. Later that same evening we met friends at a Mexican restaurant/bar to continue the fun. It’s great being a senior, being able to let your hair down, never worrying about tomorrow. More seniors should indulge and let it all hang out.

Today is a rest day because tomorrow starts anew. All next week is filled with something to do and the next experience. The week after next is filled with even more things than next week plus there is the election, not only for governor, etc. for the state of Virginia but I am running for a seat on the Resident Council at Imperial Plaza. Wish me luck.

Thinking about elections. All of you that have elections in your community, vote. Remember, people all over the world won elections that they shouldn’t have because people that could vote didn’t. Don’t say it’s only a minor election and it doesn’t matter whether you vote or not. That’s the reason we are in a mess here in the USA. I could name many countries that is in the same situation but I will not do so at this time. Vote, vote, vote and give this nation, this world, a chance. Those of you that read my religious blog (faithingodministries.net) understand what I mean.

Until the next time have fun, smile and keep on keeping on.

 

 

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15

Oct. ’17

The World’s Spinning Faster

Thinking about the fiasco surrounding the NFL; the kneeling situation. I am dissolving my cheering for my NFL team, the Dallas Cowboys. Why, you may be wondering? It’s not what the team did, kneeling during the national anthem, it’s Dallas’ owner who is in the president’s pocket by saying the team will stand or not play. He was one of the president’s largest contributors which is also a mark against him. Strike two.

While in the military, I told the men that worked for me- in a baseball game there are three strikes before you are out. In my game you have two strikes and you are out. Mess up once, the strike is on me. Mess up twice and you are out. Jerry Jones have two strikes. I love the team but not the owner, especially what he is standing for.

Kneeling was never against the flag but against inequality. Against everything except the dishonoring the flag. Not once have anyone said anything about the flag or anthem, they wanted to have their voice heard, to unify. But, someone, somehow twisted the message and that was heard loudest. This will free-up time on Thursday, Sunday and Monday.

Also, bundled into this is the thought of burning, throwing away or rendering unwearable all the team gear that was collected over the years. Many have already sacrificed all the gear they have but the NFL and the team already have the money, what’s the point. I’ll keep mine but I’ll stop cheering.

Did you know that the president is so knowledgeable and have so much respect for the flag that he did not know what the music was before lowering or raising the flag or what it was for? Nor did he know what was to be done when the music was heard, etc. But, he is down on everyone about respecting the flag yet, in the beginning, he did not know it was never about the flag. What is to be done to the people that burn or stomp on the flag? I wonder.

As for the retiree/senior citizen, have you heard that the president have signed a proclamation to suspend funds to supplement healthcare for low income people? That it will mean is either higher cost for healthcare or higher cost of health insurance or both? As of yet, I am not affected yet because I am a military retiree but I am holding my breathe because this president may have other tricks up his ?/&**$# sleeve. I don’t trust him, don’t believe him nor have I ever. Any and everything touched by President Obama will be stricken, regardless what it is or whether it hurt people or not.

Moving on to my travels, a retiree’s privilege. This time my wife and I took the Sunshine bus tour to Cass, West Virginia. We stopped at the observatory and had lunch before going to Cass, WV. From a distance I took pictures of the large dish and the small dish but other than that there wasn’t much to see. Then on to the train.

This was a small locomotive that ran up and down the mountain pulling four open sided cars (from Cass to the tourist station at the top) and while at the top another train arrived from the other direction. It was interesting as well as fun. A good day and that was last week.

This week, Brookdale Imperial Plaza took the weekly outing to Charlestown, West Virginia, the Charlestown Casino/Racetrack. This was an overnight trip because the horse racing is always in the evening. I did okay in the casino but lost my shirt on the horses. It is all about having fun and spend only what you can afford to lose. Never go to the casino expecting to win because you may win a little but the odds are against you. My wife and I had a good time and in two weeks we will be at the casino in Delaware before continuing on to Connecticut for the casinos there. We have not been in either place in a while but now is the time to go, this is before our next cruise which will be in December. Therefore, in two weeks one or both blogs may not be uploaded. Fun first.

Get out the house, get out of town and have fun. You may be here today but tomorrow is not promised. See ya!!!

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01

Oct. ’17

Just Small Talk

I’ve said it before , I’ll say it again: It is great being retired and living in a senior community. Here there is plenty of time to do or accomplish whatever you want to do. All is done at your leisure which make retiring that much better. Traveling, reading, television watching, eating out, casino hopping, etc. is all part of enjoying the senior years. Many do not or have not the monetary or physical where with all to do it. Then there is Imperial Plaza.

Imperial Plaza took it’s usual Wednesday trip to Jamestown, Va. The first permanent colony in America. It was sad to see a great trip, that was cheap, not being taken advantage of by the great majority of people living here. Brookdale Imperial Plaza does not make a profit from these excursions yet seldom is there a full bus. Then, as you walk around the area, there are people saying there isn’t anything to do.

At Jamestown we viewed replicas of the Indian village, the English settlement and the museum. There was a bow and arrow demonstration, musket loading/firing demonstration and the showing of the interiors of the church and Indian huts replica. What was also for good exploration were the two ships. The size of the ships were small, by today’s standards, for having carried so many people to the new world. However, thinking of the size of the people in that era, mean there was plenty of room.

After getting back, I had just enough time to get myself clean, change clothes and get to a Mighty Pen Project class at the Virginia War Memorial (it was a humid day). I enjoyed my time with them, can hardly wait for our next time together. I always learn something new because I consider my writing as atrocious. I’ll keep trying to improve hoping I’ll get there one day. I have the two blogs to keep me in practice plus two stories I am still working on but constantly tearing apart for redoing. Each time I get fresh information at the Mighty Pen Project, I have to rewrite but I consider it worth the effort.

As I have written before, I am a member of the Howard Baugh Chapter of the Tuskegee Airman Incorporated who had a ceremony in Petersburg, Virginia. I could not be with them because I was out of town; they had a ceremony at a high school, I was out of town again. I hope to be in town for the next ceremony although I have been lucky enough to be available for the meetings.

It was a fine day for an outing. My wife and I went to the Wine & Hops Festival in Petersburg, Virginia on Saturday. It was okay, however, the lines for the wine and beer were long, there were a lot of vendors in a confined space, the place was very crowded in a small area. Lots of young people attended, being it was a confined area (Old Towne), standing around, made moving from vendor to vendor very complicated. But it was nice to get out, seeing things outside our usual areas of travel.

While in the area, we toured my old stomping grounds (I am originally from Petersburg), Hopewell and Colonial Heights, Virginia. We went to the new Puerto Rican Bakery/Cafe. It opened three months ago and we learned about it on television’s evening news. They are taking items of donation to the storm ravaged Puerto Rico. It’s the only Puerto Rican cafe I know in the area. There was one in Chesterfield but it closed a year ago.

I advise people, especially seniors, to get out and explore, revisit places of yore or new ones. Make time to go, enjoy before there is not enough time left to do it. I know my wife and I will go as much as we can because time is quickly catching up. Have fun and party as if there is not a tomorrow.

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