We went to a local No Kings rally last weekend. Dale thought we only needed one sign between us, and I agreed. But then we couldn’t agree on the sign. This is standard operating procedure for us. Sometimes it’s hard to believe we’ve been married 46 years.
It was a struggle to get there, but we finally went with, “No cons, no clowns, no kings.” And for a couple of hours we felt good about the future. Now, well, not so much.
There are so many things to be mad about. War. Obviously, that’s not good. But some of the small things bother me just as much. Wiping out history because the regime doesn’t like admitting it happened?
New signs at national parks and historic sites include QR codes, urging visitors to report any signs or information “that are negative about either past or living Americans or that fail to emphasize the beauty, grandeur and abundance of landscapes.”
I know you get this news from other sources, and I suspect you are sick of hearing about it from me. I made the mistake of looking at my blog statistics, and they have gone down a little each year since COVID. More so since Trump 2.0.
It’s true I’m not as cheerful as I used to be, but I write about retired life and getting older and stuff I’m experiencing, and what’s happening in our country is part of the package. Plus, I think it’s important to speak up while we still can. So, statistics be damned.
JKW. Just Keep Writing.
We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of fresh tomatoes. There are several farmers markets near us, and yesterday we went to one of the larger ones in hopes of a sneak preview. Our favorite tomato vendor didn’t have any yet, but there were was one stand featuring a few tomatoes, so we took a chance.
I was craving a big messy bison burger with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onions, mayonnaise and mustard. No ketchup ever. It was as advertised – big and messy – and the tomato was OK. I call them iceberg tomatoes. The real ones aren’t here yet.
We learned about a place where you pick your own corn, and they even have a corn hotline so you don’t have to drive out there until you’re sure. I rather love that. They are only open Tuesdays and Saturdays. I called the hotline, and it said corn was ready, so I believe we will be making the trek this week.
I don’t know whether it’s turning 70 in a couple of months or politics or something else, but I’ve been reflecting on the past and wondering about some of the choices I made. Some of it wasn’t necessarily a choice but rather who I was at that time in life and now wishing I’d been different.
Having been raised by wolves, it took me a long time to figure out how to navigate work and life. I had a great career, but it could have been better if I hadn’t been such a mess inside.
Also, I’ve never been the most sociable person on the planet, and to some extent I blame that on the wolves, but it’s on me, too. I should have tried harder to make and keep friends.
While I’ve accepted wear and tear on the body as part of aging, I still resent it. What was I doing when my body was in peak form? Oh, that’s right, working my ass of at a 24/7 job so I could make enough money and retire before I totally crap out.
Actually, my body is feeling pretty darn good, especially my knees, and I’ve been daydreaming about long-distance walking trip. But geez, will they hold up? I’m continuing to do my exercises and slowly adding mileage, so I guess we’ll see. I don’t want to book anything until I’m reasonably certain I can do it.
As for other choices, the big one is my life partner. No lie, Dale and I do get on each other’s nerves, but after all these years we’re getting better at agreeing to disagree, and I don’t doubt my choice there. We’re both outspoken, independent and non-traditional, and he has never tried to clip my wings.
No cons, no clowns, no kings.
It seems to me I compromise more than he does on the small things in daily life, but we’ve been together so long it’s starting to seem like some of those things were my idea in the first place.
Like no ketchup on a burger. Whose rule was that?
The No Kings protest was amazing. The official count was 12,000, but my experience of everything I have been to, there is always an undercount. Afraid of the truth?
A friend told me that historically, if 3% of the population hits the streets, regimes fall. For us that would be 10 to 11 million.
The official count was 5 million for the last protest. I had heard 11 million before that. They also said there was 2,000 protests across the country. But I know that number is way wrong because that is only the major cities that they counted that registered with the website. Around here I saw protests at every small town Gilroy, Sebastopol, Petaluma and Etc. Multiply that by all the small towns in America. We have to take to the streets in greater numbers.
And I want our mainstream media to tell the truth. When I turn on the 6:00 news, they should be saying today our president rambled on for 20 minutes about whales and windmills, and then flagpoles, and then about Joe Biden, and then about firing hoses that plug into electric cars. Just tell it like it is the man is senile demented and in the throws of dementia.
I hope your are right about the regime falling. We had a big turnout, even in El Dorado County, which is pretty conservative.
It does seem like the media ignores that fact that he’s incoherent. But they were all over Biden. Trump is a madman, and they just act like it’s normal.
Long distance walk? Wow! That’s a big step. Or a lot of smaller steps. Hope you go for it.
I’ve been talking about it for years, but I didn’t have the time or the money. Now I may not have the body! But I’m talking about one of those cushy trips where they carry your stuff and you stay in nice hotels. It seems doable to me.
I’ve done this – hiking trip in Switzerland and biking trip in Costa Rica. Backroads was the company and they were great back then (as were my knees).
Yes, I’ve been looking into them. Also, someone at golf told me today about a local woman who organizes walking trips for older adults. Exciting!
Please do keep writing, no matter the ratings, etc. I for one (a retired female a few -5-years ahead of you, whose body isn’t what it used to be but still mostly working and mostly pain-free) appreciates most of what you have to say and could not do it as well, so I’m very glad that you are saying it. Thanks.
As a longtime reader but almost never commenter, I’ll second that. I’m someone who is 4 years behind you, recently retired, who’s body aches are tempered by Pilates and walking.
A lot of the exercises my PT gave me are based on Pilates. I’m a believer. Thank you for reading my blog. Comments are always welcome but never required!
Thank you so much. I should not have checked the ratings!
JKW, please! As a person in a kind of blue dot in a very red state, I appreciate reading your political take. And your food. Definitely your food. Now I’m wondering about where you want to walk. I’ve done five–none of them in hot countries because I hate heat, and I have a cute raincoat and waterproof boots. A tip for your knees–trekking poles are the way to go especially downhill.
I don’t have any specific place in mind. Probably the U.S. I browsed the Backroads website, and there are lots of possibilities. I do have some trekking poles from eons ago.
Thanks for the nudge to JKW. More food to come!
Your comment about working your ass off 24/7 really resonates. I’m so glad to be retired but wow. I put in a lot of hours.
And, I hope you continue to write. I look forward to your blog.
Thanks. I really don’t blame people who drop out and do crazy stuff while they’re young. Work really gets in the way of life.
I’m glad you’re writing! I enjoy reading about what you’re reading, your food, Dale, your art and what you think about the dismal state of our country. I look forward to your posts and hearing your thoughts. As a non-golfer, I even find your golfing experience interesting.
I appreciate your kind words. More to come.
JKW, Donna! Forget statistics…that’s just something we had to get through in college. We are sitting here enjoying the beauty, peace and serenity of the Mendocino coastline, and wouldn’t you know that Trump had to put a fist through that with his declaration of war with Iran. Still thankful we can getaway, enjoy long walks, and our bodies are healthy. Yep, it’s good our partners can agree to disagree respectfully. I like it that they can also cook yummy meals too.
Navarro Vineyards is up that way — great wine! We are actually planning a little road trip to Mt. Shasta.
Yes to ignoring statistics. A healthy body and good food goes a long way.
Have fun!
I’ve been pretty surprised how many bloggers I follow (and I follow way too many), have started to include some political bits in their posts. I think it has gotten too much for even those who mostly write about their cats to ignore. We had 60,000+ at our march in San Diego. Hopefully we can keep it up throughout his term.
60,000!!!!! That’s fantastic.
We`re alive, we`re alive, we`re alive. Think about that. I know you know what I mean.
Yes, against all odds, we are alive!
There was a wonderful Pick Your Own near where I used to live. I used to take my friend from work and we’d go crazy – but only after we’d phoned ahead to find out if it was time. That short outing would take over our entire weekend, as we’d have to make the most of our harvest by cooking and/or freezing, as well as gorging on all the gorgeous fresh produce. I miss it!
I’ve noticed that the approach of 70 is making me reflective on life and, naturally, on the roads taken (or not). I’m not entirely comfortable with my feelings quite yet and am considering going to see my lovely old therapist in an attempt to work through them in a safe space. I’m nibbling around the edges on my own, but the emotions feel a tad big to be out in the wild without supervision 🙂
No cons, no clowns, no kings is an excellent sign. Concise, clear, alliterative. Nice work.
Well, it’s interesting, this turning 70 business. It does make you think. I went to counseling years ago and would go again, but it’s hard to find anyone with openings these days. I’m actually doing pretty well on my own. A lot of it for me is about lowering my expectations.
Great post, as always. Sorry to hear that your stats are down, but I hope you know that you have a loyal audience who look forward to hearing from you. I was also raised by wolves, and I have similar regrets – worked too hard, geared toward retirement, but now the body makes doing all those great retirement dreams iffy. Ah, well, I take comfort in the freedom that retirement provides. As for tomatoes, I bought a package of cherry tomatoes to hold me over until the real ones arrive. Meh.
Thank you so much for the pep talk. I recall you were also raised by wolves, and here we are, so there! And you are so right about just enjoying the freedom. As I alluded to in another comment, when all else fails, lower your expectations.
JKW! I don’t know if I show up in your stats, but I get your posts via email and rarely read them on the actual blog site. I live in a blue dot city in a hot red county and there were “thousands” who participated in the protests in area where a new Tesla shop just opened…..a good counter-balance to the headline making non-resident a-holes the town had to endure in 2017 (there were NOT good people on both sides then..or now).
Thanks for sticking with me! And good news on the protests. I hope we can make a difference.
JKW!! I believe that the whole blogging space has shrunk as many have moved to podcasts – both speaking them and listening to them. But I like the written word. And I appreciate reading your words – your take on life, on politics, on food (is putting mayo on a burger bad?), on dealing with aging. I might not always comment, but I do smile when I see your blog hit my inbox!
It’s funny you mention podcasts. I was a public speaker in high school and college, and my voice has always been a strength. I do read my stuff out loud to myself because I like to write pretty much the same way I talk. I thought mabye I could do a podcast, but I don’t listen to them, so why would I start one? I’m with you. I prefer the written word. I’m better on paper!
And thank you for your continued support. I appreciate it.
No ketchup on a burger?? That’s a bad rule. I hate to admit it, but I love ketchup on steak. I know, I catch flak for that. But I do not put ketchup on eggs, like some people.