Retiring Guy: August 2010

Monday, August 23, 2010

Sunday Shopping

“I’d like to go to Penney’s sometime today,” JoAnna requested during our patio breakfast at the C’s Restaurant. “I need to get a suit. None of the one I have fit me anymore.”

Now that she’s lost 22 pounds – and still counting – I’m not surprised. (But I’m left to guess her current weight, as she won’t reveal what she weighed at the start of her diet.)

“Eddie has a few things he’d like to buy,” I noted. “He’ll probably want to come along.”

And he did, though with much less enthusiasm than usual.

As the two of us ascended the escalator to the men’s department on Penney’s second floor, we were greeted with the sound of bass-heavy, repetitive, hip-hop-influenced music. We noticed an unusual number of people present for a summer Sunday, even by back-to-school standards. In addition, representatives from area business, including a clinic called No Fear Dentistry, had set up small information booths, and employees from Noodles, the restaurant chain, were giving away free samples of macaroni and cheese and other pasta dishes.

Upon closer inspection, I learned that the main event was going to be a fashion show.

But for what age? I wondered.

Most of the children milling around the center aisles looked to be of preschool age. I have a feeling that main attraction for the assembled crowd was the food, not the fashion.

I accompanied Eddie as he made his way to a remote area of the men’s department where the last of the summer merchandise was on display. And what a meager display it was.

“Are you going to follow me around the whole time?” he asked curtly, contemplating his next move.

I took the hint…and wandered off on my own. I noticed that this particular Penney’s store had recently expanded its “Big and Tall” section, which led me to ponder the question, “Is it due to the addition of more ‘big’ or more ‘tall’ merchandise?” Considering all of the news stories regarding America’s expanding waistline, I concluded ‘big’ is the correct answer.

Bored, I decided to rejoin JoAnna on the first floor women’s clothing wonderland, but as I rode the ‘down’ escalator, she was going ‘up’.

“I’ll be right there,” I called out as we waved to each other.

We found Eddie in a disconsolate mood.

“They don’t have anything here,” he complained.

Outside of socks and underwear, the only items he had selected for himself.

Plus the insistent music and crowded aisles created an atmosphere he wished to escape.

“I hate shopping for clothes,” he muttered as we walked back to the car.

So unlike his brother.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Tiedeman Pond Walk

A turtle enjoys the day's final light.

A hawk strikes a pose.

A blue heron awaits a fish dinner.

Not the view from our family room

Desktop background?

Tempting Murphy's Law

(An everystockphoto)

Surprise!

And not a happy one.

As I walked my bike out of the garage this morning, I noticed the rear tire was flat.

“What the…?!!” I said aloud with dismay.

There goes my bike ride, I thought.

And the tire wasn’t just soft. Every last bit of air had escaped.

My first thought was to load the bike into the back of the Matrix and head for the Trek store. I’d been thinking about a mid-season turn-up anyway, as I’ve easily ridden more than 1,000 miles since mid-March. And for some reason, I can’t shift into the lowest or highest series of gears. It’s become a 7-speed instead of a 21-speed. Not a problem as I generally avoid challenging terrain.

Before a repair, though, I decided to pump up the tire to see how long it would hold air. At first, the valve didn’t want to accept air, but after I adjusted a knob at the base of the pump, I didn’t encounter as much resistance.

Once the tire was firm, I conducted s short test ride around the neighborhood, after which I tested the pressure with a squeeze of two fingers.

Doesn’t seem like it lost any air, I noted.

So on I rode…for another hour, figuring that , with my luck, the tire would deflate when I reached the farthest point from which, a distance of about four miles. And, initially figuring I’d be away from the house for just a few minutes, I didn’t have my phone with me. I’d left myself wide open for a Murphy’s Law experience. Luckily, I returned home without incident, with no perceptible loss of air in the tire.

Prior to today, I last rode my bike on Saturday, which means that it sat idle for four days. Not the longest period of disuse this summer but, except for the visit to Warren, certainly close.

Whatever the case, whatever the cause, it’s a very slow leak.

Dr. Bronner's: The Original Body Wash

Rediscovered this refreshing product during a recent visit with family in Pennsylvania.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Warehouse

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Green World

Thursday, August 12, 2010

What Would Fox News Do?

If George Bush was the target?
If Dick Cheney was the target?
If John McCain was the target?
If Michael Steele was the target?
If Mitch McConnell was the target?
If Sarah Palin was the target? (Just imagine the outrage.)