Becoming Unretired!

Becoming unretired (unretired is not a real word per spell check) is a new act for me! It is not what I had in mind when I left the workforce. I had envisioned endless days of fishing and traveling around the world.

Well I figured out out fairly early in retirement that I would not be traveling around the world. But what the heck, I could travel around the U.S., right? Well, I have been to see my two sweethearts in Washington state, my daughter and granddaughter and my two awesome grandsons and my highly intelligent computer sleuth son in law, Mike.

I have been to Texas to celebrate the birthday of my best friend John and found the hospitality of his wife and family to be very TEXAN and full of love. Just as it has always been. I met special friends of the family and had a great time! So who needs to go far away?

I have also been to the Land of Lost Boys and visited with Peter Pan and Wendy and even got to stand in for Captain Hook, so that my Arizona grandkids could have great times having sword fights with Hook!

Have you ever gotten to be Darth Vader? Well, I have! Now, being Vader can be dangerous! Vader is attacked by Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia and those Light Sabers can do a number on you!

Now to the unretired part. I went out to seek a position in the Culinary Arts field so that I could make a fortune and get out of the house. Well, not to my surprise, I found that not too many of those positions are available for "older" folks. However, I have found a "home" with Gilbert Public Schools". I am a four hour per day food service worker.

So what does a food service worker do. Well, we do a little of everything. My first two days on the job were at large high schools and that was VERY fast paced. I was then sent to South Valley Junior High School. My most important duty is running the cash register on my line. We have five lines, all with different types of foods. On my second day there the manager asked if I would like to work there on a permanent assignment.

The one thing I felt that I might have a problem with is smart mouth kids. So far that is not the case. The young folks have been great to work around.

Many of you may not know that my Mother ran the school lunch program in my small Oklahoma town for several years. So is this Carma or what? I have found many differences from the program my Mother ran and the program I am presently working in. Ever thing in mom's program was made from scratch. Very few things in our program are made from scratch. Mon's kitchen and serving line had very basic equipment. Our kitchen has the "latest and greatest" of everything.

So here I am, off on another adventure in my life! The only thing I have to complain about is that I have to ware long pants to work! Over all I think this unretirement is not bad. I work 20 hours a week and get lots of time off. I work with some very nice people and can not wait for the Christmas, oh I mean the Winter Break, which just happens to include the day we Celebrate Our Lord Jesuses birthday.

I will keep you posted on what is happing in the kitchen at South Valley Junior High.

The Wind Blew and The Rain Came

One day life is simple and pleasures are many. Now comes a change. Change is sort of like a country road with a fork in it. One fork is smooth and a pure joy to travel down. The other fork is rough and can be difficult to travel on. On the first fork the sun is always shining and there are no bumps. The second fork is always unknown and may be unsafe to travel! We should always choose to travel on the first fork, right? Well, sometimes we don't get to choose the fork! Especially when the wrong fork is Ike and you live in Southeast Texas!

Over the last few weeks some of us have seen, via the media, a fork in the road that was chosen for millions of people. No one of sound mind would have chosen the fork labeled IKE. We were safe, protected by our connection to the media of choice. We had the power to watch IKE rip peoples' "stuff" to bits and soak it with rain. We also had the power to power off the media host and go to bed or for a walk or what ever.

Now I want you know that I have been on the wrong fork in the road many times in my life. I have found that the "wrong" fork in the road can be exciting and full of adventure! On the other hand it can bring you pain! I have found that there are two different types of travelers on the wrong fork. Those who know that have made a mistake by taking the wrong fork and those who have no idea or don't care where they are.

Those who know they are on the the wrong fork have at least three choices. They can either turn and head back to where they started from or they can bitch and whine about being "lost" or they can find a way to make the most of a less than good place to be and devise a plan to get back to the main road!

For those who took the wrong fork and did not know or care if it was the wrong fork I say bravo! You are most likely the ones who look at the "stuff" you lost and say it was just stuff. After all, I still have my life or friends or whatever.

Ike had not even come ashore in Texas when the media and some fools started the old "where is the government". I had to pause and think, what would have happened if Sam Houston or the other heroes and heroins of Texas History would have asked that question!

I salute the people of Texas and the great pride and courage they have shown while facing the forks in the road and sticking by their decision to at least choose one and not wait for someone to tell them which way to go!

Like To Cook?

I really like to cook! I cook 99% of all the meals in our home. It is a job I like, so no big deal. Growing up I really believed I had some of the best food that could be found in the world! However, the world as I knew it was a small town in Oklahoma.

As you know, if you have read my first post, my mom was the best at everything. My mothers middle name was FOOD! She would fry, roast and bake things that must have been inspired by a higher power. People would drive for miles to buy her pies, cakes and dinner rolls. Now, I did not know that we had very little cash flow in our home. I was sure that biscuits and gravy for breakfast and pancakes and eggs for dinner were the norm for everyone. It would be later in life when I learned that people with a larger cash flow were eating from a larger menu.

While I was still in school I become a member of the Air National Guard. I went to Air Force basic training the summer before my senior year of high school. It was there that I saw a slightly more expanded food menu. It was also here that I became fascinated with large food production
techniques. Feeding thousands of people each meal with good food at a very fast pace was a sight to see! However, this was only a slightly better menu.

Well, life has gone on and I have traveled many miles around this world and eaten food in many far off places and in many states here in the U.S. I have found that food is like life. Food will make you happy or sad depending on how it taste! I am sure that food, like life, is better when shared with friends and loved ones.

So turn off the television. Set that big table, which is most likely seldom used, with your finest linen, and invite your family and friends over for dinner! Ask the friends you know best to help you COOK! I'll bet that the menu well be just fine, no matter what is served. The main items for your meal should be love, laughter and fun!

Bon Appetit

Fresh Air From The Northwest

Well, if there are some of you out there in the U.S.A. who think that women are weak, then you did not see or hear the speech given by the next Vice President of The U.S.A! Yes, I understand that the speech was not written by Sarah Palin. However, It was delivered with fire and grit and a little ad lib. It will be very interesting to see the debate with Joe.

I am sad to hear the negative reports by the press. I understand that we all want our favorites to win for what ever reason. I hope that we respect all people who want to govern our Great Country until he or she is proved to be not worthy of that respect.

God Bless America.

A TRUE TEXAS FRIEND'S BIRTHDAY

I recently got back from Texas. I had gone there to help celebrate my friend John's 65th birthday. Like many of use John is not a true Texan but is into Texas and Texas is in his soul. You would have had to live in "The Great State of Texas" to understand that.

I received my E-VITE to the big party and made my plans to go to Texas! I also began to think about all the good time I had with John and his wife Vivian and his kids Monica and Rodney and my daughter Shawna. Rodney would later rename himself John.

John and I worked for Sugar Land Telephone. We worked hard and played hard with family, co-workers and friends. There were times when we did have too much fun! We might stay out too late and/or drink too much. But for the most part we were just living life as we saw it.

Now John is one of those guys who can do almost anything he is a carpenter, concrete finisher, plumber and swimming pool builder. Oh, he is also one heck of a Salesman.

Back to the party. There were 49 guest at the party and one Angel. The Angel was John and Vivian's son Rodney/John who would have turned 40 this year.

Everyone at the party, young and old, had a good time. I stayed up way to late talking with Monica about the good times of the past and all the good time to come.

A big Texas thank you to all of you for your hospitality and your love. A special thanks to Monica for sharing her son's Jeremy and Tyler with me. They are great kids and remind me of the love I have for my five grandkids! A special thanks to John for being my friend!

My First Time!

No! Not that first time. My first attempt at a BLOG. I am sure that I must be crazy to be BLOGGING . If you were to ask my high school English teacher she would assure you that it could not be me writing this or maybe after she noticed the spelling and sentence structure she would know that it is me!

I grew up in Oklahoma and was sure that I lived in best place on earth. My days were filled with playing out side from dawn to dusk. I learned to swim on the day that my Dad threw me in the creek and said swim! I was allowed to take the 22 rifle into the woods at an early age, after receiving some good advice like not pointing it at anything I did not intend to kill.

The absolute rock of my life was my Mother. The school band and Boy Scouts were the other things that had me on the right path of life. But enough of this.

I would like to know what some of the things are that you remember best about your young life. I am 65 years old and have simple memories. Memories like swimming in rivers and creeks, fishing, being outside rain of shine, chasing Fire Flies at night, playing tag and red light green light, helping plant and harvest the garden and watching my mom kill and clean a chicken for Sunday dinner, etc.