It's Been a Long Time Baby!

Since January 31?  Wow.  I've been to Topsail twice since then and haven't taken the trouble to make a blog report.  The fact is that I've been very busy doing little or nothing except teaching.  Four courses last term and this one, and in the foreseeable future as well.  Also, work has been steady every day - shall we say staying at a level entirely within my comfort zone. 

Not being one to make idle promises, I see a great opportunity coming on May 15.  The planets are aligning nicely in that: a) it's the end of the pay period at work, b) graduation is May 17, and c) the term break goes between May 17 - June 3.  All together, that means I can quit my day job effective May 15, do the podium thing at graduation on May 17 and then hit the road for the beach, not returning until around June 2 in preparation for class to begin.

Will I do it?  Only time will tell but the attraction is tremendous so stay tuned.

A Blog A Day - Is Just Too Many!

I know.  It’s been over a month hasn’t it?  Maybe that’s because there’s nothing going on.  Maybe it’s because there’s too much going on.  Perhaps it’s because I just haven’t felt like posting a blog entry until now.  Well…………it’s all of the above.  We’ve actually returned to Surf City (MLK Weekend) and are planning another trip for President’s Day.  Since it’s about as cold there as it is in Northern Virginia, there’s not a lot of excitement related to being around warmer weather.  Retirement still looms somewhere in the future.  My projected date to throw the switch, like the stock market (and probably because of it to some degree) goes up and down.  Maybe I should just accept poverty and pull the plug now but I’m too security minded to do that.

This isn’t a good time anyway what with the weather, my evening teaching schedule, and the sheer fact that I’ve not found anything better to do than working and making money.  That’s gotta change one of these days, I know.  It’s the “when” that eludes me for now.

In the mean time, we’re healthy and about as happy as someone whose life revolves around going to and from work can be.  Maybe by the time I make the next entry in this blog I will have things figured out.

 

 

Blogging and Slogging through Christmas

It’s closing in on Christmas and all through this place,
Time is progressing at the slowest possible pace.
The socks and the shoes are filled with the usual stuff,
And the suits and the ties are all loaded with fluff.

While I in my office sit idly by,
Wishing and wishing for time to just fly.
And who, pray tell should soon to appear?
But an unwelcome visitor slowly drawing near.

It’s nobody special but still somewhat of a pain,
And likely whose mission my mind but to drain.
I’ll sparkle and spangle and make my impression,
Holding back my real feelings and thoughts of depression.

For one of these days, and I mean coming soon,
My life will be filled with the sun and the moon.
The wishing and hoping will then quickly turn
To smiling and doing, while this place I do spurn.

You ask for my meaning and what’s at its source?
That’s simple enough – its retirement, of course.

Oui Wii

Here’s a story about this year’s Christmas Shopping exercise that is sort of timely and should be easy for some to relate to – the saga of the Wii.

We wanted to get one to give as a gift to Austin, our 15 year old Grandson.  Looked all over the place, both here in Northern Virginia, and in NC, both Wilmington and Jacksonville, checking all sorts of stores from Best Buy and Circuit City to Wal-Mart, GameStop, and various military exchanges in those areas.  Enroute back to VA from NC, we took Hwy 301 and checked the Wal-Mart’s, SAMS, and Best Buys along the way.  NO LUCK!       

Finally, back in VA, we found one in a GameStop in a mall…bought it.  Two days later, the local Best Buy had about 20 of them stacked up at the front door – Ha.  Naturally, they were gone the next day - after a certain someone decided they wouldn’t mind having a Wii.  So, the search started again.  This time – Wal-Mart Online – ordering the $700 bundle.  It’s been arriving “unbundled” and I am still waiting for the 6 games that were to be received about a week ago.

A few days after ordering the bundle, while stopping by the local Wal-Mart one morning, guess what?  Six Wii’s for sale – so naturally, for no good reason, I had to buy another one….destined for who knows but we got the thing.

If I had a dozen of Wii’s, I’d park my truck in a Best Buy parking log and scalp them, probably making a decent profit in the process.  Anyway, we ended up with 3 of the devils for Christmas.  I just hope they work. 

 

 

A much awaited entry to my blog!

Finally, this afternoon, it’s back to Surf City for the Veteran’s Day Holiday.  Maybe this little trip will cure some of the boredom I’ve been experiencing of late.  Hell, I just realized that I’ve got so much “been there, done that” in my past that the challenges are waning and quickly.  I think I’ve even read the entire Internet – twice, memorized every bar code and SKU number at Best Buy, and single handedly pumped the equivalent of ten Saudi oil wells worth of gas into my cars.

What’s next you ask?  I wish I knew but I don’t.  Maybe nothing – it’s the final challenge isn’t it?  (Truthfully, I’ve always wanted to sell hot dogs on a fishing pier.  Now where do you suppose I would find one of those?)

 

Visits to NC

Well, I guess I lied – didn’t make it for Columbus Day Weekend since Patti was in SC visiting her folks and I didn’t want to go it alone. We’ll now shoot for Veteran’s Day (November 12), and a return in two weeks from then for Thanksgiving. Hopefully it won’t be too cold by then since I’ve got a new seat for the mountain bike and want to try it out.

Weekend was a Success!

This past weekend was a success – both weather and other wise.  We arrived at Surf City Thursday evening around 7 PM so had 4 nights, leaving Monday around noon.  Warm, nice weather; some good bike rides; and all the usual stuff to do.  Interesting coincidence while we were at ACE Hardware visiting with Chuck.  Pat recognized her cousins Angela and her daughter Beth (and baby) in the store.  The coincidence comes in since Angela lives in PA and was visiting Beth.  Anyway, we were all able to go out to dinner at Daddy Mac’s on Sunday – not a bad place in my opinion, and we got to visit afterwards.  (Note: The Key Lime Pie that the Gift Basket on Surf City sells is great – never pass it up when given a chance to have some.)

When we left, the usual “I don’t wanna go” feelings set in and the gravitational pull of retirement to the beach increased a bit.  One of these days…….!

My other success while there was getting the network camera up and running once again – but for how long I wonder?  (Maybe I should be more optimistic.)

I am going back for Columbus Day weekend if I can muster the energy to make the drive – bet I will.

That’s it for now.

Brad

 

 

So, I'm coming back

Finally, after about 6 weeks I am heading back to NC and Surf City.  Seems like it’s been forever and, as you can read from some of my other postings, I’m still in the threat mode when it comes to retirement.  Maybe this trip will be the one where it finally sinks in that I would rather be there than most other places – the “Decider” we’ll call it (not to be confused with that other Decider mind you).  I’ll let you know how things go when I get there…..mood swings and all!

BQ

What Else? The Beach!

I am in VA and Patti is still in NC at the beach. Ginger arrived today and will stay until next Saturday, giving Patti some company after a week by herself.
Tonight, A. C. Flora is having a reunion for my class in Columbia SC. Too bad that I was unable to make it since it would have been fun to see all of the old high school crew. Maybe next time????
Nothing going on here. Working, biking, computering (is that now a word?). As Jackie Gleason once said "One of the days......" and I will hang it up so fast everyone will be flabbygasted.

Finally, I am there!

Finally, after a month of hearing about all the fun in the sun stuff going on down here, I made it back.  Only for the weekend (and a hot one at that so it appears), but hey, I got back to Surf City one more time during the summer.

Everyone seems to be having a good time – Jenny and Boe (Pat’s Mom and Dad) are here for 10 days.  Pat has enjoyed a steady stream of company (Ginger, Ashley; then Betsy, Austin, Abigail; then Lynn, Mark, Sarah; now Jenny and Boe; me (I feel like company anyway); the Ginger again.  Wow!  Good thing we upsized the refrigerator.

Well, I need to start the day – maybe with a nice, hot bike ride to the south end of the island – then, breakfast, or death depending on how hot it is out there.  Too bad it won’t be beer time for another 8 hours….wait!  I’m on vacation so beer time is whenever it needs to be, right?