Hello, Wednesday. Nothing on the schedule, nothing on tomorrow’s schedule beyond a vague plan to go to the art museum to see the Van Gogh show, one phone call for Friday. And it’s overcast and rainy.
If this is retirement, I don’t know how you keep yourself from going crazy. Bring on the part-time jobs and decent-paying gigs, I say.
I did cross one big item off my to-do list this year: Signed up for Medicare, which starts in five days. We both went with Original Recipe, plus a gap supplement, with a Plan D to be named later. Total outflow: Around $300/month for no-worries coverage. Considering I was paying more than double that for plenty-of-worries coverage, it seems cheap. I know many of you are Advantage partisans, but the more I read about them, the less comfortable I became. There’s something about the phrase “prior authorization” that makes my skin crawl.
And justlikethat, my email chimes with a decent freelance assignment. I know I’ve said I’m done with journalism, but this is right up my alley, with a generous deadline and a better-than-expected payday. OK then! Back in the saddle.
Still, though, life has slowed down considerably. When signing up for a hallmark of American old age is the highlight of your week, you know it’s time to develop some outside interests.
Did any of you watch the debate(s) last night? I’m hearing bad things from Pennsylvania, and the usual bullshit on Twitter about Michigan. My ballot was submitted days ago, and I hate-hate-hate what passes for “debates” these days, so I didn’t watch. As I saw someone say on Twitter, Fetterman’s condition is likely temporary, while Oz’s problem of being a lying dirtbag is permanent.
How’s everyone otherwise?
alex said on October 26, 2022 at 1:05 pm
Cast my ballot already and voted only for Dems. Even voted against judges who were billed “nonpartisan” when I knew them to be otherwise, and our county court happens to have its share of MAGAts.
And then there’s the local school board races, which are teeming with assholes this year. It’s important to do your research here; these are some serious nuts and kooks.
I turn 61 today. If I can manage to find some affordable health insurance I’ll retire ASAP and I’m not worried about keeping busy.
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David C said on October 26, 2022 at 1:50 pm
I plan on working until I’m 70. I like what I do and what else am I going to do, play fucking golf? Nah. I expect to work part time after I retire too. My dream part time job is working at a bike shop. I like bike people, I know how to fix bikes, and I think a kinda chunky 70 year could sell a lot of e-bikes.
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brian stouder said on October 26, 2022 at 2:18 pm
Happy birthday, Alex! Years ago I thought about pursuing the FWCS school board, but I liked the board member in our district (and fughetabout ‘at large’!), so sitting in the cheap-seats was the place for me
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Jeff Borden said on October 26, 2022 at 2:29 pm
I’m never voting for any Republican for any office high or low until tRumpism is rooted out and killed, which increasingly seems like never.
Fetterman is recovering from a stroke. What’s Herschel Walker’s excuse? And fuck Dr. Oz and his nine fucking houses paid for with his fucking snake oil cures. He’s no better than Alex Jones, who also sells snake oil to rubes.
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Scout said on October 26, 2022 at 2:34 pm
I mailed my ballot yesterday and just got notice from the County Election Board that it was received. AZ elections are very well run, despite what you might be hearing from the extremist MAGAts running to take control and ruin everything.
I can’t wait to retire at 66.6. Only 17 months to go. My boss may retire before that, though, and then I will have to figure out what to do for the remainder other than start distributions from my IRAs and 401(k). Pretty sure I’ll never be bored. I love to putter outside, read, work out and web surf.
Happy Birthday, Alex!
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Julie Robinson said on October 26, 2022 at 4:58 pm
Happy Birthday, Alex! I’m 66 on Saturday.
We built our retirement to keep busy, by moving close to family and taking Mom along. What with family care and appointments, volunteering, hobbies, and swimming*, there aren’t enough minutes in the day. Nancy, you’ll find your way to this too; you just haven’t had much unscheduled time before.
*I can easily spend two hours a day in the pool alone. By the time I do my laps, physical therapy, and float around chilling/praying/meditating, the clock had gone around the dial at least once.
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Little Bird said on October 26, 2022 at 4:58 pm
Happy Birthday Alex!
Health insurance in this country is an absolute nightmare. Even with my very good Medicaid, there are some things that just aren’t really covered. Like dental care; if you need anything other than a cleaning it still costs a lot. Unless you’re willing to just get the tooth/teeth extracted. Never mind that bad teeth have been proven to have a connection to heart problems. My friends call them luxury bones.
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john (not mccain) said on October 26, 2022 at 6:13 pm
“What’s Herschel Walker’s excuse? ”
Tertiary syphilis seems very possible.
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Icarus said on October 26, 2022 at 6:55 pm
You can retire at any age you want, as long as you have the resources to do so.
john (not mccain) @8 wins this thread.
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Deborah said on October 26, 2022 at 7:41 pm
Happy birthday Alex.
We voted today at the main loop location at 69 West Washington. I feel good after having done that. Only voted for Dems, checked and double checked that it all showed up properly on my paper ballot after the touch screen experience. Saw some young African Americans voting while we were. Chicago is so Democratic it’s not going to be a nail biter but I’m looking forward to after Nov 8th to see how it all plays out. I’m optimistic that the polls don’t know everything and that it will turn out ok. I’m usually a pessimist so this is new for me.
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Dorothy said on October 26, 2022 at 8:44 pm
Alex – happy birthday! The day you turned 12 is the day I met my husband. We were 16.
I had a very long comment typed and somehow i hit some keys and deleted everything I had been typing for the last 10 minutes. Dammit all to hell.
We really enjoyed our 5 days at Disney World. It was nice to get away, the kids were just great and Olivia had the time of her life. She’s 5, will be 6 in March, so of course she is the perfect age for Disney. If we ever go back I’d like to spend more time in Hollywood Studios and Epcot.
Air BnBs have been mostly really good for us. The best one was in San Diego in July last year. That place was amazing. Even though we were mostly just sleeping there, the garden all around the room where we were was spectacular, complete with hummingbirds and a cool breeze from the bay. We hosted a pizza night with family who were staying about 10 miles from there in a whole house. They loved it, too. If anyone has to go to San Diego let me know and I’ll let you know the rental information.
Retirement for me has been an adjustment, but not a bad one. I miss conversations with people but have adjusted. I read, I knit, I quilt, I meet the school bus at 2:50 most weekdays. Conversations with the granddaughter are what I live for. She’s so much fun and so smart. I am in a modern quilt guild and was just asked to be Membership Chair. I’m as talkative as people come so that’s an ideal position for me. They are my primary social group these days. But I go back to Dayton fairly often to have lunch with my best pal and keep up with some news about the department I worked in at UD. I don’t miss the stress of work. I’m glad it’s behind me now. Next up: my day at the polls! I’m not afraid – most everyone I’ve told that I’m going to be working the polls on Election Day say they’d be afraid to do that. I’m honestly not the least bit afraid. I hope nothing happens to change that.
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Suzanne said on October 26, 2022 at 8:57 pm
I don’t know when I will retire. I had planned on working a few more years, but since staring down death earlier this year, I am rethinking things. If I only have a few years left, I don’t want to spend them doing work that is just ok. The down side is that we don’t have a ton of money since I have struggled to find a decent paying job the last 10 years and my husband isn’t in a high paying profession. I know I won’t have trouble filling my days. I am an introvert and love to putter around at home. I could spend all day reading, baking, gardening, and drinking tea. My husband, on the other hand, will have to find something to do in retirement or he will drive himself and me crazy.
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Diane said on October 26, 2022 at 9:00 pm
Happy Birthday Alex.
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basset said on October 26, 2022 at 10:29 pm
Retired four years here, and a little busier than I want to be. Some irregular writing gigs, practice patient at a medical school… used to write questions for a bar trivia company until they decided my stuff was “too boomer.”
Parking lot was just about full at the suburban library where we early-voted today, hope that’s a good sign.
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Dexter Friend said on October 27, 2022 at 1:26 am
All throughout my last years of being employed, 30 years at that job, I’d run into people who had retired, and invariably, well…nearly…they would say they don’t know how they had the time to go to work, with so much to do with their lives. Only one man had real troubles, in the fall of his first year of retirement, when his massive garden was all picked, he became bored and depressed and just drank beer. I saw him the next spring in the coffee shoppe and he told me this, and how he had shaken off the depression by remodeling his house, staying busy. He lasted 8 years before death.
My first day as a retiree was just before Christmas break, so the total reality sank in as January set in. I began fretting about money. Unfortunate setbacks I had not planned for forced me into 18 years of debt, not serious debt, but debt…credit cards and loans. The pendulum swings and finally I got my head above water. Just as quickly, my wife passed away. The pendulum swung back, as always. Having no debt brings no joy, just relief from worry.
I’ve seen oceans and been to 4 foreign countries and have no wanderlust. I am content to keep up with my vehicles’ maintenance, walking the dog and caring for an older cat, and closely following sports of all sorts and streaming programs of all kinds.
I enjoy the short 70 miles drive to my daughter’s country place to visit with grandkids and great-grands.
Cars run, furnace kicks in, simple food in the fridge and cupboard, and a little bitty stash of cash in the bank. What the hell more could I expect to be blessed with?
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john (not mccain) said on October 27, 2022 at 4:09 am
I’m 3 years into a medically necessary retirement. Completely unplanned for but somehow safe and secure. Having no debt whatsoever and owning a recently fully renovated home is the key to surviving on SS alone.
So I’ve been working on my wardrobe. Threw out all my office clothes and focused on polos and chinos in old man colors. This month I started buying what all the reviews say are boots worth $600-700 but sell for under $400. They are amazing.
Next stop custom made shirts. I also obsess over black tea. Retirement is magic.
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Dorothy said on October 27, 2022 at 5:52 am
Suzanne I think you posted the good news about your cancer while I was away last week, so I wanted to say YAY YAY YAY! I’m very happy for you.
My husband got a promotion at work and he’s very happy about it. He was 65 in May this year. He has promised me he’ll retired in January 2024. But if the new job isn’t want he hopes it is, he’ll retire sooner. He has an entire room for his retirement project which is to build platforms and a nice model train set up. Our kids are really unhappy with him since he’s accepted this promotion. My view is that he needs to do what makes HIM happy, and if doing this new job for 14 months is it, then so be it.
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Deborah said on October 27, 2022 at 5:57 am
I absolutely love being retired, it’s been 10 years, which is hard to believe. Next week I’m going to the last place I worked before I retired to use their amazing materials library for a side project I’m working on. I hardly know anyone who still works there, it will be interesting to see how it has changed.
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Jeff Gill said on October 27, 2022 at 7:55 am
Courtesy Eric Zorn’s Substack today, I see that Neil Steinberg’s “Every Goddamn Day” is out, and it looks worth reading for every one of us who thinks of Chicago as our city even if we’ve not lived there for far too long. I suspect anyone else would enjoy it, too, just not quite as intensely. It’s an almanac of sorts, but utterly Chicagocentric.
https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/E/bo182756118.html
Interestingly, given the theme of the post, I told my boss I was going to have to resign as of the end of the year. He was fairly calm about it until he asked “you mean the school year?” and I explained “no, the calendar year.” Not what I want, but how it has to be; at 61, I’m fortunate that my spouse’s insurance is our mainstay, and she’s up for a few more years of work, but given that she’s a couple years older than I am, there’s going to be some interesting gap navigating ahead. First, though, we have to figure out how to handle a 93 year old and 87 year old’s needs, neither of whom are interested in making this any easier (and are why I’m resigning . . . not ready to call it retiring).
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Mark P said on October 27, 2022 at 9:19 am
I have been retired for several years. I can’t quite remember when I actually retired because I sort of eased into it by working fewer hours. I had wanted and intended to do some RV traveling like my parents did, but my wife became claustrophobic and has lately suffered from chronic pain and barely gets out of bed any more. I would do some traveling on my own, but she is also in the beginning of cognitive decline and can’t be left at home alone. We have absolutely no one to help out.
Herschel Walker was not all that smart to start with, and then spent years getting hit in the head. He’s a classic case of CTE. What can’t be explained is why so many Georgians support him.
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Elizabeth said on October 27, 2022 at 10:11 am
I enjoy reading the comments from the readers as much as reading Nancy’s columns. I am an introvert and self-contained, I don’t miss work at all, the co-workers with issues, unpleasant supervisors,etc. I plan to volunteer somewhere once I am done renovating my home. For those who would like extra interaction with others, I would suggest volunteering with a hospital auxiliary. The hospital where I retired from has an active one. They raise funds for the hospital, provide scholarships for student volunteers and are a vital and needed resource for the hospital. They volunteer 4 hour shifts-usally 8a-12p, 12p-4p, or 4p-8p. I saw for myself the enjoyment, friendships made plus the satisfaction they had for helping others.
For me I have read more books in the past year than I have in 45 years. I worked full-time at the hospital plus a p/t job. Mark P., your comments touched me. Maybe there is a granny nanny type company that could provide some companionship for your wife.
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Robert said on October 27, 2022 at 10:27 am
I enjoyed the retirement stories – I guess a lot us NN readers are of a certain age.
I retired from teaching just before Covid hit (phew), but I’m still coaching a high school winter sport. I have joined a number of groups, including “the Dunworkin Club”, but I still have time to read the Times, the Post, and a number of other radical-lib publications.
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susan said on October 27, 2022 at 11:24 am
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Deborah said on October 27, 2022 at 1:06 pm
I’m confused does Musk own Twitter yet? Somewhere I read that it was supposed to happen Friday, but then others are saying it hasn’t gotten a final procedure done yet. I will wait around a bit to see what Twitter is like under Musk’s control, but when Trump gets let back in, I’m probably out of there.
The elevators are down in our building because of some screw up with the fire alarm system, the elevators stop working when smoke is detected and smoke was detected on the top floor, which has been fixed but the automatic shutoff is stuck or something. Going down the fire stairs isn’t a problem for me but coming back up to the 17th floor won’t be fun if they’re not operating yet after I finish my errands.
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Julie Robinson said on October 27, 2022 at 1:07 pm
Happy Anniversary to Dorothy and Mike, and congratulations I guess on his promotion? I seem to remember he’s got a long drive since you moved. Maybe it’s one last gasp to maximize earnings and Social Security.
Jeff, are you going to move the eldsters near you? We simply told my mom she was going to, and now she admits she stayed in the house at least 10 years too long. But at a certain point you have to move forward and simply not hear the stubborn objections. Not that any of it is fun.
She didn’t want to move to Orlando but she gets back at us by passive-aggressive behavior like refusing to get a phone or fall monitor button. Or like today, when I made a special trip to buy apple cider donuts, one of her fond memories of fall up north. Turns out she didn’t want cake donuts, only yeast. Sorrrry! Cake was all they had.
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LindaG said on October 27, 2022 at 2:34 pm
Eighty-one years here. Retired from teaching 26 years ago. Have Medicare Advantage plan (United Health) which suits me, as I’m still pretty healthy and fit, thanks to my Y membership (included in Medicare Advantage). Also have a healthy bank/broker account; however, husband is in memory care, which is private pay, but we can afford it for now. (He hasn’t been home since August 12). It’s been a nightmare, until he went to the private-pay facility. I’ve loved reading you regulars’ comments, but have been pretty shy about posting. This seemed like a good time to jump in!
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LindaG said on October 27, 2022 at 2:51 pm
I’ve been told to get everything (house, especially) in my name. I got power-of-attorney right away. Insurance for his truck is just for vandalism, fire, and ??? If I need to drive it, I just call insurance company and tell them so liability is there. Old age is not for sissies!
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brian stouder said on October 27, 2022 at 3:12 pm
Well, I’ve been retired for only a little while, and I’m loving it. We’re into strikingly-beautiful fall weather, and my big decision each day is which blocks to walk around. I s’pose this will become less fun when winter decides to spring upon us; and when Pam and I conduct our massive Change of Base next year (after our youngest graduates from high school) it’ll be Katy-Bar-The-Door time….but we shall see!
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A. Riley said on October 27, 2022 at 4:18 pm
Re: Herschel Walker. Okay, all these women think he’s hot stuff and stardust gets in their eyes, so they’re eager to sleep with him, but why in the world do they decide to *get pregnant*? Or rather, why do they decide *not to prevent* getting pregnant?
I’ve probably wondered this aloud in these comments before.
I like being retired. Once I get done with this demanding church volunteer thing (my term expires in a little more than a year), *then* I’ll be able to discover what retirement’s supposed to be like.
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Jeff Gill said on October 27, 2022 at 4:19 pm
Julie, it’s adamant refusal from the one (“I’m going to die right here in this chair!”) and baffled expectation from the other. The latter has zero assets other than her SS check at this point, so if she doesn’t keep living with my sister, she’s . . . well, anyhow, there’s no other option, but my sister’s only child is a high school senior, so you can see the tensions building there.
My father-in-law could, frankly, go anywhere. But he refuses to even discuss it . . . and at this point, he’s getting mildly delusional. I know too much about assisted living facilities, though. If we put him in one there near his current location, they’d be calling us asking us to come talk to him daily; getting him four hours west into a place near us would take enough doing that we’re reluctant to put ourselves through it all to get that done against his will and then have him pass a few tens of thousands of dollars later having only been “closer” to us for a month or two . . . and I still need to shuttle over there to help my sister who’s almost two hours further along. So it makes a weird sort of sense for me to increase the time I spend with the one, supporting that unstable arrangement, while it serves as a stepping stone to assist my mother’s equally but differently unstable set-up.
Of course my sister points out that there’s no guarantee she might not have a nervous breakdown before we get this all worked out, but she’s promised me 48 hours notice before she delaminates. (And yes, we’ve tried all the home care options in theory and in practice none of them will work, for reasons that are unfortunate but unfixable at this point.)
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Dorothy said on October 27, 2022 at 4:52 pm
Thanks Julie. And this is a silly aside but you mentioned apple cider donuts and I just have to tell this tale.
Two-three weekends ago was the big eastern sheep and wool festival held in Rhinebeck, NY. Anyone that goes just calls it “Rhinebeck”. I’m going next year for my first time with my daughter. She has gone maybe a half dozen times with friends; they rent a house. This year they rented two houses cuz their group has grown. Next year we can stay at my sister’s in Poughkeepsie so no $$ is being put out for housing. Which means more money to buy yarn.
A friend of mine from Pittsburgh went this year for the first time. I saw a post she did on Instagram that says she waited in a line for the legendary apple cider donuts from a vendor there. Her wait time? An hour and a half! I’m sorry, there is no way and no food that I’d be willing to stand in line for that would take that long. My knees would be screaming the whole time.
What’s everyone making for dinner tonight? I made some gluten free creamy potato soup, and will be making tuna melt sandwiches to go with the soup.
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David C said on October 27, 2022 at 5:17 pm
Why didn’t Herschel choose to ejaculate responsibly? He had exactly the same information that the women had.
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ROGirl said on October 27, 2022 at 5:27 pm
Still working, I had to get my gutters replaced and some roof repairs, in addition to my kitchen project, so the expenses are adding up. The Powerball jackpot is over $800 million, so maybe some extra cash will become available soon.
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Icarus said on October 27, 2022 at 5:45 pm
What’s everyone making for dinner tonight?
I dream of the day when I can make one meal and all 4 family members can eat it. Alas, Boris has dairy allergies and what we would call pickiness but is actually textual issues and neurodivergence. Natasha usually eats what we do but not always.
So it’s chicken nugget for him and leftover Costco Meatloaf and Potatoes for the rest of us, assuming there is enough for 3.
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Icarus said on October 27, 2022 at 5:48 pm
ROGirl @ 33: I feel your pain. We bought our house from our in-laws. They put a deck in the back but didn’t design it well. Long story short, we have a downspout that pours water on the deck.
This week we got the deck stained and sealed, and there is rain coming this weekend so I have to figure out how to temporarily adjust the downspouts and then come up with a permanent solution.
The takeaway: spend the money in the front end to prevent stuff like this from happening in the backend.
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Scout said on October 27, 2022 at 6:42 pm
Hello Linda G! I’m glad you chimed in.
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Dorothy said on October 27, 2022 at 6:43 pm
Alex I’m out of the loop – did you ever hear from your friends in the path of Ian?
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kayak woman said on October 27, 2022 at 7:47 pm
Everyone I’ve known who retired (in good health) ended up being really busy. My husband “early” retired 6(?) years ago. He hikes and volunteers with the North Country Trail and is often out of town chainsawing fallen trees, etc. in the yooperland and yes he is well TRAINED with a chainsaw. I have too sweet a job to retire and it’s nice to have him out of town frequently because I telecommute (since covid) and didn’t sign up for 24-7 togetherness, at least not for a while. I married you for better or worse but not for lunch!
You will soon find yourself as busy as all getout. And you already have a gig!
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LAMary said on October 27, 2022 at 8:04 pm
Aedes mosquitos. We have them here in southern California and I’m bringing this up because the tiny little bastards have munched my ankles all to hell and I’m itching like crazy. They’re small and they tend to fly in zig zags. They spread West Nile virus, among other things and they are also known as house mosquitos. They’re in my house, just a few of them and I’m cranky.
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alex said on October 27, 2022 at 10:01 pm
My friends in Fort Myers are living in a hotel. They had flood insurance but it’s unclear at this point whether the house is salvageable or whether their insurance will cover anything. What a morass.
A. Riley, I suspect that women who get knocked up by celebrities are schemers, and those who abort have probably been threatened within an inch of their lives.
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Dexter Friend said on October 28, 2022 at 1:33 am
My friend in Cape Coral is back with her husband and living in their home. Roofers came yesterday and fixed their ripped-off section. The lanai restoration is on hold. Her husband, a cop, worked 3 weeks straight, double shifts, living in their house with no water and no power. The power is back on and they don’t trust the water yet so they use those huge jugs of water. Neighbors a block over had power quicker and made meals for the cop husband. Fort Myers Beach is still a mess and this will take a long time. Cape Coral is a little less damaged, overall.
My daughter over in Port St. Lucie only had broken palm fronds and slight roof damage, easily repaired by her neighbors and her husband.
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Jeff Borden said on October 28, 2022 at 9:36 am
Retirements come in many styles and it takes awhile to master what works for you. This is new to me, too, since I’d been teaching fall and spring semesters for so long, but it seems to be working out. There’s plenty of time for the gym. . .I’m working with a personal trainer at the moment. . .and breakfasts and lunches with friends and neighbors whenever the mood strikes. Many warm afternoons were spent on the patio, reading and listening to the gurgle of our fountain.
It’s weird because for the first time ever there is no clock to watch or bosses to demand work, which defines our lives for so long, yet many of us continue to feel the need to “do something.” There’s a mountain of books waiting to be read and a library of music and film to savor. You can schedule travel on your terms. You don’t have to sort it out all it once. It will happen.
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Julie Robinson said on October 28, 2022 at 9:48 am
My friend on Pine Island is home again but needs both roof and plumbing work. Their power came on long enough to clean out frig and freezer, then went back out. They’ve been eating meals prepared by volunteers, with a special shout-out to World Food Kitchen. But their spirits are better, and hubs is playing around the island with his band while she’s volunteering at a memory care unit with art projects. I think they’ll be okay.
BTW, don’t bother with Aldi’s cider donuts–no bueno. Despite this and their non-yeast status, they are disappearing at quite a clip.
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JodiP said on October 28, 2022 at 1:38 pm
I think my retirement will look like Jeff’s–plus volunteering. I also look forward to cooking more elaborate meals.
I have been helping with interviews for the next class of volunteer master gardeners and many wait until they are retired to join. Happily, there are a good number of younger people as well.
The Minneapolis Institute of Arts has a special exhibit of Botticelli from the Uffizi that we’ll be going to. I had a great tour in late 2019 of the Uffizi so looking forward to seeing these pieces again!
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Joe Kobiela said on October 28, 2022 at 2:02 pm
Rest in peace KILLER, Jerry Lee Lewis has played his final show.
Pilot Joe
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basset said on October 28, 2022 at 2:21 pm
And according to CNN he died with his seventh wife by his side. First rock show I ever went to was him, at the high school gym in Washington, Indiana. He was wearing mismatched red pants and shirt and a bandage down one side of his face, no telling what he might have gotten into. Woulda been maybe 1971.
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David C said on October 28, 2022 at 3:34 pm
Someone brought cider-pumpkin doughnuts that are supposed to be some great local treat to work the other day. They were no bueno too. They were scarfed up in no time because engineers will eat anything but I wouldn’t go five feet out of my way to get those.
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Joe Kobiela said on October 28, 2022 at 4:03 pm
Basset,
Heading out tonight to see “asleep at the wheel” Little bit of Texas swing tonight in Shipshewana.
Pilot Joe
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Sherri said on October 28, 2022 at 5:11 pm
Filling my time without a job has never been a problem. If there weren’t enough volunteer activities I was interested in at a particular time, then there was always something new I wanted to learn more about.
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Julie Robinson said on October 28, 2022 at 5:37 pm
Pumpkin donut is the very definition of no bueno. Ditto pumpkin ice cream. Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.
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alex said on October 28, 2022 at 7:00 pm
I just had a lightbulb moment, a flash of inspiration. A retirement plan…
Assuming Indiana gets its act together eventually, I want to trademark the name
Shipshe Juana, if someone hasn’t done so already. Imagine a local chain of tourist-trap dispensaries offering free corncob pipes, Amish-themed gummies in old-fashioned candy jars and folksy display cases full of steampunk-style drug paraphernalia.
Thanks Pilot Joe.
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David C said on October 28, 2022 at 7:38 pm
That’s a billion dollar idea, Alex. Can I have the gourd bong concession?
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basset said on October 28, 2022 at 9:32 pm
all I thought of was cowboy hats on the Amish buggy drivers.
Walmart had pumpkin spice doughnut kits tonight, passed on those but we did get a banana bread kit and some muzzleloader bullets, season starts next week.
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Dexter Friend said on October 29, 2022 at 3:24 am
The World Series brings out the best in whatever teams make it that far. Last night’s game was the best, most tense game since 2011. Last night, Philadelphia catcher Realmuto clobbered a home run in the 10th inning and they held on for the win.
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Suzanne said on October 29, 2022 at 7:39 am
Pumpkin beer can be good or bad. I had a wonderful pumpkin beer in NYC several years ago. I bought a 6 pack last fall of some brand and it was awful, just awful. Mostly though, I am not a fan of all the pumpkin spice food.
In other news, Mitt Romney made a statement on Twitter that is the most awkward sorry, not sorry thing in the world
“Heartfelt wishes for healing and recovery for Paul Pelosi and for the comforting of his anxious wife, Speaker Pelosi.”
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Little Bird said on October 29, 2022 at 9:58 am
Wasn’t Jerry Lee Lewis a pedophile?
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LAMary said on October 29, 2022 at 11:52 am
Jerry Lee Lewis married his 13 year old second cousin. That’s all kinds of weird unless you were born and raised in some southern state in the 1940s or earlier. Old joke: what do you call a family reunion in Kentucky? A dating opportunity.
Rudy Giuliani married his cousin, had kids with her, then got a papal annulment because he said he didn’t know she was his cousin when he married her.
No chance of that happening in my family. My two male cousins were named after Herbert Hoover and Durwood Kirby. Really.
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Bitter Scribe said on October 30, 2022 at 6:27 pm
One nice thing about mail-in ballots is you can put it right next to the computer and Google the unfamiliar names. That way I learned that one of the judges up for retention badly botched a high-profile murder case (charged the wrong guy) and another brought ridiculously extreme charges against Iraq War protestors.
I considered Medicare Gap insurance but it doesn’t come with vision or dental.
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