A Sunny Day, Sitting in the Shade

I'm sitting on the front porch sipping a soda and listening to the birds communicate. The temperature is 72 degrees, Louie is laying at my feet, I've got 4:05 battery left, and I don't think it gets much better than this. Up at 5:30, an hour at the club, took Louie for a walk around the lake, mowed the lawn, planted some grass seed where the new sprinkler installation tore up the lawn, and now I'm relaxing. Linda and our friend Barbara are meeting Mark at the Farmer's Market. Mike is upstairs painting a bedroom for us, and I'm thinking about a sandwich — maybe some chips.

Since I retired five weeks ago, it has been very busy and hectic as we complete a long list of home improvements and clean-ups in preparation for company on the 15th and then spending the summer in Alaska. I've finally installed a sprinkler system so we can leave the homestead for a while and come back to green grass. We've done a lot of cleaning and painting and a few new things here and there. I've ordered a replacement window for the big window in the front bedroom. It is being custom made and won't be here for a another week. Meanwhile we're painting the room and updating some of the furniture.

Moving a dresser out of the little front bedroom and into the large front bedroom. That will open up the small room. Also putting Linda's grandmother's dressing table in there with a new bed and two end tables Linda found today at a garage sale. They're brand new and just the right color. Keeping the old window covering, but the new wall color and other changes will make the room pop. (Learned that on the Style Channel.)

The garage is all cleaned out, all the cars and trucks are ready to roll (except need an oil change for the Camry — next week for that). All the computers are updated. I got a new label printer and I'm organizing all my cables in my studio: XLR to XLR — check, XLR to TRS — check, RCA and quarter inch plugs — check, check, Insert jacks -- check. I've scanned a few pictures and burned a few disks. Got the music ready for the trip.

When Mark gets here, we'll move some railroad ties and big landscape timbers into the dog run and then go to work in the storage shed. I hung pegboard all around the shed and I've got a bag full of hooks and things to start covering the shed walls. A couple of old computers, a display, an old typewriter (graduation present when I finished high school) and a few other obsolete, worn out, or just not needed any more things to haul to the dump. The old front porch railing will also get moved to the dog run. Maybe the wrought iron guy can use it If not, I'll recycle it.

But, first, I had better build up my strength. Now I think I'll just lean back and think a while. If I think hard enough, I just may fall asleep.

Let's see — cameras ready for trip, new lens on order, a couple of new tires on the Flex, chargers all labeled, and contractor giving me an estimate on the front steps. Need to call the wrought iron guy about a new railing. What else? Oh yes, the bike is out for the summer and I'm looking for my socket set to adjust the seat. I think that's all.

Maybe I'll find that socket set when I clean out the storage shed. Oh, just remembered, got to cut the corners of a piece of Masonite I bought to reinforce a wire shelf that holds two tape recorders. I had better stop thinking, I keep coming up with more things to do. No, just lean back, close your eyes, relax … ah, that's better.

Originally written May 7, 2011.