In the summer of 1969 my dad and I drove to Miami Beach from our home in the Detroit suburbs. We were on a rescue mission of sorts, trying to get down there as quickly as possible to meet up with my mom and sister. They had been there for nearly two weeks, commuting each day between their … Continue reading Road Trips: Past and Present
Author: snakesinthegrass2014
This is a blog ostensibly about my taking early retirement after a 30+ year career as a law librarian. Since starting the blog in 2014, I have expanded the original scope from financial issues (i.e. pension, retirement savings, social security, divorce, alimony) to discussions of current events, culture, and primarily life's comical ironies.
I always try to return the focus to those serious issues that are germain to seniors, but my strong need for displays of irreverence and imbecility are often more dominant. So do join me as I encounter the highs, lows, pitfalls, and other challenges that will present themselves as we settle early into what I'm still told are the GOLDEN YEARS.
Your comments are not only welcomed but encouraged. Thanks for stopping by!
Out of Touch
Being out on a road trip inevitably means that you travel in a bit of a bubble. Text messages from friends and loved ones force allow you to keep in touch. If free WiFi is available, one can choose to glance through an alarming number of e-mail accumulated by the absence from a routine. Were it not … Continue reading Out of Touch
All This and Free Doughnuts Too
I joined AARP like the majority of Americans do in the year that I turned 50. There were the usual jokes from friends and family about becoming old and gray, and then I mostly forgot about it. Once a month their magazine arrives in the mail, and that gives me an opportunity to see what famous … Continue reading All This and Free Doughnuts Too
My Well-Earned $2.25
I recently got an e-mail with a very official-sounding "Schlesinger v. Ticketmaster Class Action Settlement" contained in the subject line. As an occasional concertgoer, I instantly recognized Ticketmaster but had no clue who Schlesinger is. After reading the email, I still have no idea who Schlesinger is. However, I am hoping that Mr/Ms. Schlesinger got a better … Continue reading My Well-Earned $2.25
Spring Weeding
There's a war occurring within just feet of where I am currently sitting. It's me vs. sentiment and I am winning this battle. I've embarked on a spring offensive aimed at shaking loose clutter in my home office. Specifically I am referring to employment papers that have sat in personal files of mine for years. It's time for them to go. … Continue reading Spring Weeding
Rhetoric
"He was asking me a rhetorical question, and I gave an answer. And by the way, people -- from an academic standpoint, and asked rhetorically -- said that answer was an unbelievable academic answer." (Donald Trump, MSNBC 5/4/2016) Source: You Tube. Many of us in the United States are sorting through the ramifications of what … Continue reading Rhetoric
A Faulty GPS, Alligator Mayhem, and Nails in a Tire: Steppin’ Out on the Florida Antiques Trail
My retirement in the fall of 2014 started on a rather inauspicious note. Our arrival in Florida coincided with Gorgeous suffering what can only be described as a perfect storm of dental drama. Fortunately I had the foresight to continue an optional dental insurance I had been carrying under my former employer's plan. When all … Continue reading A Faulty GPS, Alligator Mayhem, and Nails in a Tire: Steppin’ Out on the Florida Antiques Trail
Wants and Needs Redux
I desperately need a new cell phone. But more on that a little further below. Nearly a year after blogging about my rejection of creeping self-consumerism, I am once again taking note of a tendency I have to parse what constitutes as being acceptable in how I spend money. I can literally feel my nose … Continue reading Wants and Needs Redux
Karma Will Get Ya Every Time
The embarrassing thing is that it all resulted from a single sneeze. While washing the breakfast dishes no less. I pulled a muscle or muscles in my lower back last weekend. It happened in the blink of an eye, with the pain instantly shooting all the way up to the top of my spine. I howled … Continue reading Karma Will Get Ya Every Time
Calling Cousin Brucie
When I was a kid it was pretty exciting to call into a radio station and speak with the DJ. I didn't really care about getting on the air so much as just being able to talk briefly with that man who played the tunes. I thought those guys had the coolest jobs possible. I would … Continue reading Calling Cousin Brucie
Snakes in the Grass 
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