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Have you ever come across a clever idea, and kicked yourself because you didn’t think of it first? Well this is one of those times for me. Tom Walton is the retired editor of my home town newspaper, and one of my favorite writers. Tom writes a humorous article for the paper every other Sunday. A recent piece hit home and cracked me up.
Among the thoughts he submitted, is the idea that, if your age begins with the number eight, the can of shaving cream you buy today just might be a lifetime supply. Even at the tender young age of 73, I am well aware that the opportunity for a mid-life crisis has passed me by.
So, what is this 37 year old trapped in a 73 year old body going to do?
While the go-go gods still smile upon us, I’m taking Chrissy on a SKI trip (spending kids’ inheritance; they keep telling us that they don’t need the money). Between now and August 1st, there will be a cross country trip to California, three concerts, two Broadway Plays (bus and truck tours stopping in Toledo), day trips to the Lake Erie Islands of Put-In-Bay and Kelly’s, and maybe a Mud Hens game or two. Lunches and dinners with friends and family are always on the calendar. Beyond 08/01, we just purchased tickets for the next season of Broadway in Toledo. I’m hoping that’s not a lifetime supply of Broadway Plays.
What’s everyone else doing for fun this summer?
if your age begins with the number eight, the can of shaving cream you buy today just might be a lifetime supply.
Older residents at my CCRC have been heard to joke that they don’t buy green bananas.
We generally bracket the summer with trips rather than touring in the summer to avoid the crowds. Our early trip this year was a February getaway to Barbados due to a very cold winter.
I’m starting off the summer with an expensive (for me) Bruce Springsteen concert. I now go to every concert he performs near us as at 76, and with his standards for performances I don’t know how many tours he will do.
We stay home during the “summer” here in NH which is basically July and August (although we did have a 90 degree day earlier in the week with dips to cool off in 49 degree water). Weekly we look at the upcoming week’s weather and pick the prime weekday (never on the weekend) to go to the beach. We picked where we built our retirement home considering the location of the coast which is only a half hour away. Just after Labor Day we head for the UK for two weeks to London, Glasgow, Pitlochry, St Andrews, and Edinburgh. The idea for this trip was formulated three years ago, but circumstances have postponed it. The entire trip was planned around the Highland Games in Pitlochry with a population of about 3K.
Rick Steves did a segment on the Highland Games, though not the games in Pitlochry. That should be an absolute blast!
Have a great summer, Dave!
We are fortunate to have a 2nd home at the Jersey shore, within a 75 minute drive (traffic allowing) of us and our daughters, SILs and 4 grandchildren’s homes. My DW and I spend most of the summer there (going back north mid-week when Dr appointments, etc are planned) and the kids come down just about every weekend during the summer and stay with us Friday- Sunday.
We belong to a great beach club right next door to our condo which has become a big part of our social life where we have a cabana on the beach (maybe one reason for so many friends 🤷🏻♂️😂).
We don’t travel ANYWHERE during the summer! We are truly blessed to have this place at this time with our family joining us (except when the older girls are at a dance competition early in the summer and at sleep away camp for 3 weeks during the summer).
There will of course be cookouts, concerts, surfing, fishing, bike riding, ice cream and all the fun summer stuff (did I mention adult beverages with our social group?).
We look forward to this time between Memorial Day and Labor Day each year and make very few plans. Now if the damn weather forecast would improve for this weekend in NJ (rain and temps around 60 degrees 🤦🏻♂️😢) we’d be all set!
I can’t think of a better way to spend the summer than being on the beach and having the kids stay over most every weekend.
Ha, sounds like Irish weather! I’m flying back from Spain this evening and heading straight to my vacation home — and for once, Ireland is playing nice, with sunshine and highs in the upper 60s to low 70s forecast.
Have a great summer Dan, hope the plan all unfolds smoothly!
Spare a thought for us southern hemisphere folk as we grind through winter.
Thanks, Greg. Since I no longer have to slip and slide all winter long making beer deliveries, I never complain about the weather. Still, truth be known, I’m always happy when summer rolls around. I hope your winter is a mild one.
Dan, I’m exhausted just reading your itinerary. You’re not seizing the day, you’re seizing the entire summer. Carpe aestatem indeed!
My own summer is considerably quieter by comparison. Most of it will be spent at the vacation home, with a short five-day trip to London to visit my daughter and Suzie’s family. But the highlight, the thing I’m most looking forward to, is a ten-day trip to Valencia in early August to view a total solar eclipse. I’ve always been an astronomy nerd, but never witnessed an eclipse…super excited!
I’ll happily admit I’m hoping to get through quite a few more XXL tins of shaving gel before old Nick comes knocking.
Valencia sounds wonderful, and it seems like there should be an Irish blessing about XXL tins of shaving gel along with a long and prosperous life.
Best wishes for clear weather at your Valencia trip, Mark! We had 4 minutes of totality at the solar eclipse in a clear sky here in 2024 at our northern Ohio CCRC — even the wild geese on the backyard pond went quiet and still during that unique darkness.
In NW Ohio, it became dark enough for the street lights to come on.