It's a quiet day for the birthday boy. So far I've managed to bake four loaves of bread, and download five Bob Dillon CD's using the DVD/CD Rom player my wife got for me. (A lot of new laptops don't come with one). I also purchased Peter, Paul and Mary's greatest hits. My music purchases reminds me of this old guy (about the age I am now) from Kannapolis that several of us young guys carpooled with to McGuire Nuclear Station back in the early seventies. Each day he would turn on the car radio at 7:00 and listen to the news. Then, as soon as the first song after the news began playing, he would quickly turn off the radio and, like clockwork, say "ain't make any good music in twenty years."
My favorite chair in the den developed a big hole in the leather cushion, which I could have lived with, but coupled with the fact that the chair was quite low and increasingly hard to get out of, I got a new chair for my birthday. You know you're getting old when you get your own recliner. After I retire, I suppose I'll spend the majority of my leisure time with my feet elevated to the same level as my head. I'm developing more and more aches and pains, but I read today there may be hope.
I researcher today announced that head/body transplants may be possible within two years. I'm happily married to what I consider a trophy wife, so now perhaps I can get a trophy body as well. Of course, some might say the body got the short end of the stick. Can you imagine putting the grumpy head of an old man on to a 20 year old body. Talk about being a creepy, lecherous old fool. And, what would the doctor say after a successful surgery: "He's alive, he's alive." I guess when my head wears out, they could then transplant a new head onto my new body. I'd be like George Washington's axe, all original except for replacing the head and handle a few times.
I'm planning to retire in September, or at least mostly retire. I still need to make enough money to fund my hobbies. Actually, Kathy thinks I'm mostly retired now. Bought some new panniers for my bike and have a few trips in mind. I think my friend Tim and I are going to ride down to Greenville, NC in April. Kathy and I are going to do the three day Cycle NC coastal ride on the tandem in April, and maybe do a big 300 mile coastal loop sometime this summer. I just hope my health can hold out at least for a few more years. I've toyed with the idea of riding cross country, probably by myself, maybe next year, but I don't know if that will actually happen. It may be like some of my other dreams in that my reach may exceed my grasp. I probably should not have mentioned this trip, because I expect that Kathy will not be too keen on the idea. I would like to get in one grand adventure before I can't remember my way home. While writing this, the line "the places you'll go the people you'll meet" came into my head, and I became curious as to it's origins. It comes from the book "The Places you'll Go" by Dr. Seuss. Here's a YouTube link to the burning man version of the poem. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahv_1IS7SiE . I know, Burning Man is just a bunch of crazy hippies camping in the desert, but this is worth a watch, because this is about the me that I wish I could be.
