Knocked Out

Several years ago, actually 12 years ago, my Mother told me she knew when she was old when she knew she couldn’t hoe that extra six rows of corn. My Mother was 72 years told at the time. My Father always had a vegetable garden on their three acres of land in Chester County, Pennsylvania. He lovingly worked that ground for over 40 years (since 1958.) Pop always planted more than the family could eat or can. Pop’s Garden (as we in the family called it) was his identity. He would start his seedlings early in the spring and put them out after the first frost. When my two younger brothers and I were growing up, he would rope us into weeding his rows and rows of corn. At that time his garden was in a field behind the Gindy Trailer Manufacturing plant in Downingtown.

My brothers and I eventually left home to start our own families. Pop continued to have his garden. He and Mom would do the weeding. Actually, Mom did the weeding by using her hoe. Well, this one summer day, she went up in the late afternoon to hoe six rows of corn. She finished and was wiped out. For the first time in her life she said that she knew she was old because she felt her body couldn’t recover as fast. This was unlike previous years that she could come home from working at shift at the Pepperridge Farms layer cake division, cook up a big meal for the men in her family, and then go up in the garden and hoe until dark. Oh no, those days were over forever.

I’ve often thought of my Mother’s realization of the day she knew she was old. I thought, “When would be my day of reckoning?” I think yesterday was the day. I have fourteen Pampas grass plants around my one acre of property here in beautiful Sussex County, Delaware. The time to trim the dead grass from last year is early spring. It is now early spring. I was waiting for a mild day so it wouldn’t be so torturous. Yesterday was such a mild day although the wind were high.

Wednesday I attacked the Pampas grass surrounds the generator on the border of my property and my neighbors the Murphys. That was a BIG job. My body paid the price with aches and pains for a few days after that. Yesterday, in spite of the 30 MPH gusts of wind, I decided to attack the Pampas grass adjoining my back deck and my other neighbor’s fence. For over two hours, I cut, fought, and bagged the dried tan grass stalks. At the end of two hours I was exhausted. I don’t know if it was because I was fighting the constant heavy winds or just all that bending over for sustained periods of time. All I know is that I was totally EXHAUSTED. I am still exhausted. Even after going to bed early last night (9 o’clock with is really early for me), I am still exhausted. I am telling you, I am WIPED OUT.

Maybe this is it. Yesterday I passed the Rubicon. I think I entered into the next phase of my life. For several years now the face I see in the mirror every morning is of some old man. Couldn’t be me. I blamed the haggard appearance on whatever stressful situation I went through the previous day. However, overtime I realized that the same tired, haggard face has been looking at me for years now. It gets harder and harder to take a good picture. This is something else my Mother has told me. “The older you get, the more you will find it is hard to get a good picture of yourself.” Oh how true. Those good pictures are getting harder and harder to come by.

But back to this exhaustion I am feeling now. I have three more Pampas grass bushes to trim. I really don’t know when I’m going to get around to cutting them back. Right now my whole body is aching, especially my back. All I can think about is lying down on my bed, reading a good book, and drifting off to sleep. I’m updating my blog now which I didn’t do yesterday because I was so tired. I have company coming over for dinner tonight. I want to be at my freshest and wittiest with my guests tonight. The only way I can accomplish that goal is to take a nap now. I remember something an old boss used to tell me “Getting old isn’t for sissies.” Well, I’m no sissy but I am getting old. Gone are the days where I could work all day and stay up most of the night and get up early the next day and do it all over again. Ah youth, it is indeed wasted on the young. I am now knocking on the door of Old Age.

Facebook

For about a year now friends from different phases of my life have been urging me to join Facebook. I resisted because I thought I was too old (67.) I thought Facebook was a social networking web site for college students to stay in touch without the detritus of regular e-mail. Why would I want to bother with such a web site? Another thing, my poor old brain can only handle learning so many new things. I tried Twitter a few months ago and it baffled me. I didn’t understand what I would get out of Twitter. I can get by quite well in my life without texting my friends and relatives. To me texting is just another way to incur phone company fees.

Then, about three weeks ago, the son of a former classmate of mine told me that if I enjoyed posting to a blog, I would like Facebook. I was skeptical, because he is one of those young people who handle these new things with ease. What he doesn’t understand is that I am of that generation that is on Brain Overload now. I’m just barely managing operating my PC and taking advantage of what the Internet has to offer. However, I took his advice and jumped in with both feet. What really sold me was when I found out another former classmate of mine also had a Facebook account. She told me that her grandchildren urged her to open a Facebook account in order to keep in touch with them. My friend’s comment “It sort of makes e-mail seem passé doesn’t it?” convinced me to try Facebook. I opened my account two weeks ago and haven’t looked back since. Thank you Ben!

Not to sound like a shill for Facebook but I find that this social networking web site is an ideal way even for an old fogey like me to stay in touch with friends and relatives. In fact, I have rediscovered my nieces and nephew. I had not heard from them in years. I wondered what happened to them. I thought they didn’t want to have anything more to do with old Uncle Ronnie. Well, there they were when I did a search for friends on Facebook. In fact, everyone in the 42 year old picture (taken 1967) that I have posted on this blog has a Facebook account. Pictured is my younger brother (Isaac Tipton, Jr.), his former wife (Phyllis Iffrig Tipton), and their three children (Dawn Tipton Armstrong, Isaac Tipton, III, and Karen Tipton.) It is wonderful to be back in touch with them. I am now sharing old family photos with them. Many of these photos they have never seen. I’m glad I now have the opportunity to share our pictorial family history with them.

My Facebook friends are falling into four categories:

Friends
Relatives
Former Classmates
Genealogy

The only downside I have found so far with Facebook is that I an unable to talk some of my other friends into opening Facebook accounts. I understand that some of them don’t have time for a Facebook account. I’m finding that I have less time for my blog postings now that I have opened a Facebook account. I also understand that some of my friends and relatives are concerned about their privacy. This is another valid concern which I understand. However, I am very thankful to my friend Ben for urging me to open a Facebook account. My life is indeed richer for having done so.

Anyone reading this blog who wants to check my Facebook account only has to type in my e-mail address which is: ronaldtipton@msn.com. Your search engine will take you directly to my Facebook account. I welcome all. Have a great day!

Cold Tuesday

Last night was another slow night at the hotel where I work the front desk from 3 to 11, Mondays and Thursdays. There were only three guests in the hotel; a confused elderly couple from New York and a Dutch national who is working at the Georgetown airport. With only two rooms rented, last night was a long night. I almost wished for those nights when the hotel had a stedy flow of guests in and out and asking the same questions at the front desk such as:

“Where do I park?” – outside in the parking lot
“Where is the best place to eat?” – The Buttery, The Second Street Grill, Stripper Bites, Cafe Azafran, Beseme, Jerry's Seafood...take your pick
“How far to the ocean?” one mile to the bay – the Atlantic Ocean is at Cape Henlopen, drive east until you hit the water....you're there.
“How do I get there?” out the front door to the light, over the canal street bridge one mile
“Is there parking?” yes, at the end of the road where the beach meets the water
“How much?” I don’t know, they keep raising it - take a lot of quarters

"What is my room number?" the number is on your key, that's not a decoration
“How do I get to my room?” – the elevator behind you
“Where is the elevator?” - turn around, it is behind you
“Where is the ice machine?” - turn around and to your left where it says "Ice" on the door
“Do you have a soda machine?” Yes
“Where is your soda machine” Opposite the front desk where you’re standing where it says "Soda" on the door
“How do I get to The Buttery?” Out the front door to the right one block then left - they have a big sign that says "The Buttery" - you can't miss it
“How far to The Buttery?” one and a half blocks

"How do I get there?" walk, put one leg in front the other and before you know it, you're there

"How is the food?" Gawd awful. What do you expect me to say? It's good (and expensive)
“What time is checkout?” 11 AM
“Can I have a late checkout?” No

"Why can't I have a late checkout?" because we have to have time to clean the rooms for the next guest who wants an early check in like you did when you made your reservation
“Why is that siren going off?” It is the fire alarm for the local fire company
“Do you have tornadoes in this area?” No, we’re not in Kansas...... anymore .....Toto
“Who has the best crab cakes?” Gilligan’s (so they tell me)
“How long has this building been here?” I don’t know, ask the owner
“What time is breakfast?” 8 to 10
“How do I get to the Cape May-Lewes Ferry?” out the front door to the light then left to the Dairy Queen then a right one mile and the Ferry is on your left – YOU CAN’T MISS IT – THEY HAVE BIG SIGNS

Oh how I miss those days with the helpless guests. The owner of the hotel told me he witnessed the phenomenon of otherwise intelligent people who are struck dumb upon entering the hotel and become helpless. But then that’s why I’m behind the front desk. I’m there to help them. I don't get paid the big bucks for looking pretty. However, there are times I must admit when my patience runs short after answering the same inane questions over and over again. It is almost like there could be a robot behind the front desk programmed with the same answers. All the guests would have to do is push the appropriate button. Sort of like those menus we all have had to navigate when making a phone call to a business. Speaking of which......................................

Yesterday I had such an experience. I called E*Trade to find out how to make a deposit to my IRA account as of last year. Upon doing my taxes I discovered I owed $638. Apparently I missed the fabulous Bush tax cuts (probably because I’m not in the 35% tax range – I’m in the 15% tax range and, as all of you who are in that range know, we received NADA tax cuts during the Bush Reign of Terror.) To avoid paying $638 in taxes this year, I could make a retroactive contribution to my IRA account, thus delaying paying taxes on my meager income this year to a future year in which I may not have a job and will need the money. I realize that last sentence was a long one but you get the idea. I’m trying to hang onto as much of my money as I can in my twilight years. Everything is going up except my income and my libido. Anyway, back to my experience calling E*Trade. It took me several calls and about 15 minutes plowing through telephone menus before I got a live person to ask how I make a contribution on line. He told me to go into the E*Trade web site and click the box that said Transfer. He then told me to indicate where I wanted the funds to come from (my bank account in Downingtown) and which one of my E*Trade accounts I wanted credited. Then he told me to check either the 2008 or 2009 IRA contribution box. Well, that was easy enough. Actually, I think I made this process a lot harder that it really was. In fact, I think I was the Customer Who Was Struck Dumb. I imagine the E*Trade customer service representative I talked to yesterday has his own list of customers who ask the SAME QUESTIONS. Hmmmm….something sounds familiar here.

Windy Monday

Here is is Monday and the start of a new week and I haven't posted my daily blog. Sometimes it just isn't possible. This blog posting will be a short one to let everyone know I'm still alive and kicking.

Last night I was invited to an Oscar Party with friends but I decided not to go. The weather was dicey and I don't like to travel at night, especially to someplace where I'm not sure where I'm going. The last time two times I went to parties at this friend's house, I rode with someone else. Both of those individuals were unavailable last night. One stayed home and counted his piggies and the other went to market, er, he visited his relatives in Altoona, PA and attended a kid's party. I heard that he survived the party.

I stayed home and cooked a wonderful pork loin roast. Friday night I cooked to death a pork tenderloin. If you like meat the consistency of beef jerky, you would like that pork tenderloin I overcooked. I was determined to have the other white meat (my taste buds were up for it) so I cooked a rubbed pork roast last night. It came out perfect. After dinner I settled down to watch a DVD movie with Ben Stiller called "Lonely Hearts." It was raunchy and over the top sometimes with the language and nude scenes but I still got a few good hearty laughs out of the situations Ben found himself in. I needed a few good laughs. If I had went to the Oscar party I would have had a few good laughs too. That's the fun of friends gathering especially for an "event" such as the Oscars. What more fun can one have than to mock and make fun of the self congratulatory and self important stars as they accept their awards? I have to admit I did miss seeing Mickey O'Rourke winning an Oscar and giving tear filled thanks to his recently departed Chihuahua Lokey for "all that he has done to support me." Then, in like a typical over the top Hollywood phony, Mickey would look up to Heaven and say "I know you're watching me Lokey." Mickey would then raise his Oscar with his right hand and show the base to the audience as he departs the podium in triumph. Oh God, can't these Hollywood types operate without a script and be a little more creative when accepting their awards? How about a simple "Thank you" and exit stage right? Of course this is impossible with a Hollywood star. After all, isn't acting in itself the very definition of phoniness? One would think they were accepting the award for finding a cure for cancer. No, they're just actors congratulating each other on doing the politically correct thing that was "in" the previous year. Unfortunately for the plastic surgery marginalized Mickey, gays were in last year, not wrestlers. Maybe next year Mickey can play a gay wrestler who is trying to stop the slaughter in Darfour. I mean no offense to my gay friends (I'm gay too, remember?) but come on. Enough is enough. Put the sunglasses and scarf away Mickey and wash that greasy hair. Maybe next year you'll get a chance to purse your collagen inflated lips at the American movie going public again. God I hope not.

This morning has been busy with checking my genealogy e-mails. When I was working full-time my wish was to win the lottery so I could open up an office and devote most of my time to my genealogy research. Well, I didn't win the lottery but I do have an office (home office) and I do devote most of my spare time with my Tipton family genealogy research. Last night I spent about an hour on the phone with Jewell Winfed Tipton of George. Jewell (a man, he says "Jewell" is a common name in the South for a man) is my fifth cousin. We share the same great-great-great-great grandfather, Major Jonathan Tipton. I'm also talking to Winfred (another man's name) "Ace" Tipton of Oklahoma. He is also my fifth cousin. This morning I talked to Tim Tipton of Tennessee. You guessed it, he is also my fifth cousin. Good ole Jonathan Tipton, he has a lot of progeny.

It won't be too long now until I have to whip up some lunch and get ready for work today. The day outside is bright and sunny and windy, as it often is down on on the coastal plain of southern Delaware. Spring is coming, I can feel it!

What's the picture on this blog have to do with this blog? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. It is my neighbor Barbara's new Yorkie puppy Heidi. I think she likes me.

Spring is Coming

Spring is coming. I can feel it in the air. The yellow crocus, always a welcome harbinger of spring, is blooming along the walkway to my front door. When I lived in Pennsylvania the deer usually ate the new bloomed crocus before I could enjoy its colorful splendor. One in a while the deer would miss a patch and I would see it for part of a day, which was enough for me to know for certain that spring would soon follow.

Yesterday I loaded up my ’98 red Subaru Forester with old items to be donated to the new thrift store which will be operated by Clear Space Productions. There are several thrift stores in the area, and I have made donations to them in the past but I’ve been saving the best items for just such an occasion as this. A few years before I moved to Delaware, the Metropolitan Community Church used to operate a thrift store. This is the thrift store where I was going to make my donations after my move. Unfortunately, the new pastor of the church discontinued the thrift store because he was too lazy to operate it. His decision not to involve the church in the operation of the thrift store really was unfortunate because the proceeds of the thrift store supported the church. Another benefit of the thrift store was that it was a wonderful outreach to both the gay and straight community from the predominately gay Metropolitan Community Church. An even extra benefit, the thrift store provided an excellent center for the sale of many particularly kitschy items that only the gay community can provide. I’ve always been reluctant to part with some of my more flamboyant household items to the main thrift store in Rehoboth, which caters mainly to the straight, poor population of the Milton/Lewes/Rehoboth beach area. Straight people just don’t have the ability to appreciate some of the finer objects de art that is available through a gay thrift store. Yes, I told my friend who is involved in opening this new thrift store, that he and his group have made an excellent decision to open their thrift store. I have no doubt that a year from now they will be pulling in so much money that they will wonder why didn’t they do this earlier.

In just a little over a month spring will be upon us here in our little enclave on the coast of southern Delaware. One of the things I really like about living in southern Delaware is that when the date of spring arrives on the calendar (March 21st), it really is spring, unlike when I lived in Pennsylvania. In Pennsylvania, the calendar may say spring, but in reality spring really didn’t arrive until Mother’s Day or May 15th, whichever came first. In fact this weekend the weather forecast for my Mom’s place in Pennsylvania is ice and snow. No thank you. We’re having our share of cold weather down here as it is. The sky was sunny yesterday but the cold winds continued to blow.

Sunday night I was invited to an Oscar Party by a friend. He has a 61 inch TV which is almost like attending the movies. I attended his Golden Globes party with friends a few weeks back. We had fun mocking all the self important stars who thanked everyone from their kindergarten teacher to their makeup girl for their “accomplishments.” The standard line was “I couldn’t of done it without ………………..” (Fill in the blanks.) It is always good fun to mock the self-important and delusional. One would think they found a cure for cancer or how to solve the economic meltdown this country is going through now. As my friend Wayne has often said “Get over your self honey!” I don’t think I’ll go though this Sunday. Wayne won’t be their and I would miss his caustic remarks. The other attendees may take that stuff seriously.

Bill and I are going over to our neighbor’s shortly and see her new dog. I would like to have another dog but Bill won’t hear of it. He still hasn’t gotten over the loss of our last dog, years ago. Maybe someday I’ll get a cat. For now, I am anxiously awaiting spring. Each day it gets one day closer. Spring can’t come soon enough.

Hump Day Plus One

Slowly but surely I’m getting back to my regular routine. I had to go into work yesterday to fill in for the regular front desk clerk who had a cold. Day shift at the front desk is totally different from night shift. Both shifts are interesting but the day shift goes by much faster. After my shift, I got home and showered and took a good long nap. Of course that screwed up the rest of my evening.

After my nap I got on my computer and checked my account on Facebook. Then I opened up my AOL e-mail account and worked on catching up my genealogy e-mails. I now have four distant relatives (that I’ve never met personally) who are now sharing information with me. Sharing genealogy information with distant relatives is a pastime that I never tire of. I also called two of these relatives, one in Tennessee and one in Ohio. I always enjoy connecting with hitherto unknown relatives and gaining new information about our common family tree, especially the older relatives. I’ve missed so many opportunities in the past to talk to many of my older relatives because I was so caught up in my day to day life. Now I’m trying to make up for lost time.

This daily blog will have to be cut short. I just received a call from a former classmate and a good friend asking me if another one of our classmates has died. I didn’t know. I will have to check my sources. This year will be our 50th class reunion and I’m the classmate who keeps these records for our reunion booklet in addition to our former classmates’ addresses.

Now I have to prepare my lunch. I’m scheduled to work today then I’m off until Monday. Bill and I will be able to pick up on our regular routine of having breakfast at Zorba’s in Rehoboth this Saturday. They say old people like familiar surroundings and a routine. I’m there.

Getting Back On Track

I’m still trying to catch up on my regular routine after spending five days in Pennsylvania visiting my Mom and friends last week. Today I had a delightful lunch with my former classmate and friend, Judy. We dined at Café Azafran in Lewes. Café Azafran is one of the restaurants that I recommend to hotel guests but haven’t had a chance to eat at myself. Today I corrected that. We both had a tasty Mediterranean vegetable dish of eggplant (I love eggplant) and tomatoes with a tangy sauce. Delicious! Good company, good food in an interesting restaurant in downtown Lewes on a sunny winter’s day. It doesn’t get much better.

Before I left for lunch, I got a call from my co-worker at the Inn. She’s not feeling well and she asked if I could fill in for her tomorrow. I checked my calendar and saw that I was open. I'll go in tomorrow at 7:00 to cover her shift. That was part of the bargain when I applied for my job at the Inn. I told them I would almost always be available to fill in on short notice. I enjoy working but I don’t want to work full-time. I feel like I’m being smothered when I’m working full-time. However, I don’t mind working part-time and even on holidays and weekends and filling in when needed. I will probably always work. At one time I thought I would retire but I tried that for about three months and it just didn’t work for me. I couldn’t see the rest of my life stretched out checking my e-mails in the morning, lunch, nap in the afternoon, checking e-mails again, dinner, then going to bed at night and doing it all over again the next day. My personality is such that I need the discipline of going to work. I've had a job since I was 10 years old (paper boy.) I just can't stop working.

Working balances out my life. Of course I can use the extra money now that I have a mortgage until I’m 95 years old. I need the work environment and all its challenges to keep my mind sharp and my curiosity intact. Sometimes I get frustrated at work but that is all part of the challenge of living. I don’t propose my routine or what works for me for everyone else. This is what works for me.

I had some great news today. While I was scanning old photos that I borrowed from relatives during my recent visit to Pennsylvania, I found my Palm Pilot! I was sick about losing it especially since they don’t make them anymore.

My situation with the Palm Pilot is another example of a product that works perfectly fine for me that is discontinued. Now I have to figure out how to add the Palm software to my new computer with the Vista operating system. Oh yeah, I’m not done with the “wonderful” Vista operating system. I use my Palm Pilot to keep track of all of my contacts as well as my many passwords. I don’t know how else to keep track of all of this information. I’m glad I wasn’t able to buy another Palm Pilot. Maybe it’s good they discontinued making them. I think now you have to buy a Trio Phone or something like that. I don’t need all of that. All I need is a simple place to keep my addresses and passwords. I am so glad I found my Palm!

Riding over to Judy’s place at Cape Shores brought back fond memories of when I stayed at her place (while she and her husband Jack were wintering at their Florida condo), back in the winter of 2006 when my new house was undergoing construction. Jack and Judy’s home is right on the bay. Looking out their living room window all you see is the water of Delaware Bay. I asked Jack if he ever got tired of that scene. He said “Never!” I never would either. However, I am just as pleased with the sunny view out of my sun room windows of my acre of open lawn which borders on a corn field. The traffic that is visible on Route 1 provides a soothing backdrop for that view. I equate the effect of the moving traffic in the far distance with watching fish in an aquarium. I find it very comforting.

I have a new activity, Facebook. I’m glad some of my forward looking friends persisted in encouraging me to join Facebook. I’ve been encouraging some of my other friends, who aren’t members, to join. But some of them are concerned about their privacy. I can understand that concern. However, my view is that I’m not going to hide under a rock for fear someone will know something about me. I figure everything there is to know about me is already out there on the Internets. I have nothing to hide. To me, Facebook is just a cooler way to stay in touch with friends and relatives. I don’t feel threatened by it. There are more serious threats in this world, the main one being the serious credit crunch in this country which is threatening to ruin our economy. Now that’s something to worry about.