Not Enough Hours in the Day

Halloween has come and gone.  Nary a gremlin or a ghoul stopped by Casa Tipton-Kelly last night which was just fine with me. Bill was in bed at 7:30 PM (his usual bedtime) and I was ensconced in my bedroom at the Tipton Cinema watching the last season of "Mad Men", which is turning out to be pretty lame by the way.  I can understand why this is their last season.  

Now the holidays begin in warp speed.  Thanksgiving, Christmas, Kwanza, New Year's, Martin "I have a dream!" King Day and . . . . . . wait for it . . . President's Day.  Who among us doesn't get all tingly when President's day approaches?  All those used car ads with actors playing Abe Lincoln and George Washington rushing to buy the latest used car clunker.   

The Ebola Scare has abated somewhat but not enough to prevent certain politicians from trying to score political points by showing their "leadership" qualities (Christ Christy and Mario Cuomo I'm talking to you). 

The phones continue to ring in this household from political robo calls urging me to vote for this or that candidate.  Hey, I've already decided who I'm going to vote for next Tuesday, I don't need a robo call to tell me.

Tomorrow morning we move the clocks back one hour.  Didn't we just change the clocks?  Where does the time go?  


All the years I worked I always looked forward to retiring.  For many reasons but one of the main was that I would finally have time to do what I really wanted to do.  Guess what folks?  I still don't have the time.  

Sure, I work two night a week at the hotel.  But the rest of the week I have off.  But between updating my blog daily like I'm doing now, going to the store for vitals, taking our daily ride (I like to get Bill out of true house at least once a day), preparing nutritious and healthy meals for myself (can't eat prepared food anymore, my body has rebelled), and yard work . . . I do not have the time to do some of my favorite activities. 

I could spend hours updating and checking my genealogy records.  Answering e-mail inquiries from various distant relatives.  I just don't have the time.

I could spend hours reviewing, scanning, and updating my thousands of photos.  I do little bit but not near enough to keep my files current.  

I still haven't unpacked all of the boxes from our move here in 2006.  I have a basement media room that is a storage room.  I keep saying to myself "I'll go down today and sort through that stuff."  Doesn't happen.

One thing I do do though (did I just say "do do?") folks is read.  I LOVE to read.  I usually have two books going at the same time.  One in my bathroom library and the other by my bed. The "library" book I'm reading now is a W.C. Field biography.  My bedroom book is a biography of Miss Ross also known as Diana Ross, head Supreme.  Both excellent books.  I do love to read.  I have a couple hundred books in my backlog that I haven't yet read.  I doubt if I'll get to them before I check out but it's nice to know that they're there.

Another thing I do every day is take a nap.  I have to take a nap folks.  When I was visiting Pat in Toronto this past August I didn't have time to take my daily snooze fest and I paid the price.  By the time I caught the plane home I was seeing double.  

I'm coming to the realization that I'll never get done the things I want to in my life, even though I'm "retired" now.  But I am thankful that I'm well enough and still here to do and enjoy what I can.  I take nothing for granted. I make each day count.  And believe me, I know I am one of the lucky few.  

How Immature Am I?

Short answer?  Very.  

Long answer?  Read on.

As I am about to enter my 74th year of existence (this life anyway) on this planet I often review my past years and wonder "What went wrong?"  Actually, nothing "went wrong" (tongue in cheek folks, tongue in cheek which doesn't always come through in the written word).  

I pretty much believe that our life plan has already been laid out for us prior to our birth.  Sort of like a board game like Monopoly.  You get your turn, you shake the dice and make your moves.  Then you have to make decisions.  Shall I pay that much money for Boardwalk or save it to buy Illinois?  

One thing that has been constant in my life is this little annoying facet of my personality . . . . immaturity.  Here I am, the grand old age of 72 and I'm still doing immature things.  Like teasing Bill, my friends, neighbors and relatives, and you my dear blogger readers. 

Time is running out

For instance, check out the photo at the beginning of this blog.  A few minutes ago I stole it off of one of my favorite bloggers who posts once a week.  He posts a series of photos (taken with his iPhone) he has taken the past week.  He calls his post "The Sunday Evening Post."  See HERE

Mostly his photos are harmless, family friendly photos.  Occasionally he slips over into the risqué like this photo that I grabbed and posted here. I looked at that container for an electric razor and another image immediately came to my mind folks.  I'm telling you, I'm hopelessly immature.  But I'm blaming this on my father,

Ike Tipton, I'm just a chip off of his old block

he would have seen the humor too.  I inherited his immaturity gene.  Thus, why you won't see me being invited to any country club din din any time.  But you know what folks? I am pretty awesome.  And humble.  Just saying.