tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2117608269396399212024-03-25T13:53:45.276-07:00Retirement Coffee ShopMitch Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003214337172183828noreply@blogger.comBlogger133125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211760826939639921.post-35615944208073667302024-03-20T09:01:00.000-07:002024-03-20T09:01:28.533-07:00First Visit to NYC!<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilxbzjk_8tz2eKG3V33ORR6HRXGX1VjE9it_21fYtGI2fWjCICNnWi5_-4SNgHIgX8yEsnCJOjqOnlJB7YfvXZcw9Zoanqm97s_B4zZwK85FtivokZYn2kPQoArV9P0ADv5uDifjPyQSIHxGoyUR8zZmcUSlW876HFgW9uj5gMmwQrCFT1dHNOyttRAIHD/s237/ilove%20nyc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="237" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilxbzjk_8tz2eKG3V33ORR6HRXGX1VjE9it_21fYtGI2fWjCICNnWi5_-4SNgHIgX8yEsnCJOjqOnlJB7YfvXZcw9Zoanqm97s_B4zZwK85FtivokZYn2kPQoArV9P0ADv5uDifjPyQSIHxGoyUR8zZmcUSlW876HFgW9uj5gMmwQrCFT1dHNOyttRAIHD/s1600/ilove%20nyc.jpg" width="237" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>My wife and I just got back from a cruise out of NYC and four days of sightseeing in the city. It was our first trip to NYC and we loved it! We did the normal sites and visited the Statue of Liberty and walked up to the crown. We saw the Wall St Bull, the Empire State Building, the NYC Library, the NY Stock Exchange, Central Park and many other sites. We did an evening harbor cruise and enjoyed the lights of the city at night. We saw two Broadway Shows, Wicked and the Book of Mormon. Enjoyed them both but was surprised at some of the vulgarity in the Book of Mormon but it was a funny show. We went to Top of the Rock and rode the beam for some fantastic views of the city. We visited the Morgan Library Museum which I dearly loved. We got up early on Monday morning and went to the Today Show plaza and got to do a "shout out" which was aired on TV!</p><p>We were amazed at the size of NYC while staying in the Times Square area. We have a few tall buildings in Oklahoma City but there are hundreds of skyscrapers in NYC. It is definitely the city that never sleeps. We were amazed at the number of people on the streets at 11pm. We got to experience the crowds on the sidewalk, the NYPD on the street corners or directing traffic, the honking, the street traffic and the huge amount of yellow taxis everywhere. </p><p>We ate some of the best Italian food we have ever had in Little Italy. We had NY pizza a couple of times and ate at many other great places. We really enjoyed this first visit to NYC and recommend that everyone experience that huge city at least once in their life.</p><p>Have you visited New York City? Were you amazed at the size and busyness of the city? Have you been to a city even bigger somewhere else in the world? If so, how was your experience?</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUmq3kJK9qtKsOsrPYMEjUj7fWC4XQeg2w7EQU-LRibbQ1HW98h_-ho6IDPcv7XDqtwarRO-sWrho8pcacEfQfQQJsPqQ1Tz2HuBR-6EIs57lHBUy9QFa2Y-kdTg38bLejm7rDKelHQBo2F3Iu7tQP2nXwz90qsIBImHLi1Wl2xvQN6wNAvLk1-g2UAxnL/s320/IMG_2554.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUmq3kJK9qtKsOsrPYMEjUj7fWC4XQeg2w7EQU-LRibbQ1HW98h_-ho6IDPcv7XDqtwarRO-sWrho8pcacEfQfQQJsPqQ1Tz2HuBR-6EIs57lHBUy9QFa2Y-kdTg38bLejm7rDKelHQBo2F3Iu7tQP2nXwz90qsIBImHLi1Wl2xvQN6wNAvLk1-g2UAxnL/s1600/IMG_2554.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAXc3LqOLHCFmEHiWm1UQLK0zkyQPazYu-lpQ-rlGPGgVtcyeUT2SB0szP5vtLTmktlXMXZ1REJs5Uvzmlq-H4NmeEQoeajm1AAvjLR21cPAmgo1Fks7XO8wAgET54An887UmbDh8WvA-cKRsRwshjYxFJ2XNcwkOm-3DSHpnCgGsCROfRetJnj5ZwDIXT/s320/IMG_2579.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyhifm8mPNK5ON9DiFNBK4jECRL9EgY0aphezLBJNysXRFDRvd_HmK6So52jhpuXeOw1qTIvPsdW49QdiXbC9GYtJku1qBQs7HMzj5qeCZ10vsdbib32e7IBp9rRUiftWpp10vJ4sHEivhIbWbEt9v4RuxnZwuysQ6zmCub2Z75vSrQUYOv6r7vbeptw8v/s1600/IMG_2205.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6RGDk3Bc6Xllvg8qWMplE_dG9wR8j8zAsaADuUoaoYj9fCRPp1Z3W8X3pCk4cBnYgmISNEwjb0SjoCN2DailQ_dEf1TW60InS7jE1VipdepRi30cWtHx-1NJ9srTscXWabgtIea77v7t2czvzpP8jyL6ETU3Bg31hSb9VwBGlMXDXzCRZqDt4DHhY1Ow3/s320/IMG_2253.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6RGDk3Bc6Xllvg8qWMplE_dG9wR8j8zAsaADuUoaoYj9fCRPp1Z3W8X3pCk4cBnYgmISNEwjb0SjoCN2DailQ_dEf1TW60InS7jE1VipdepRi30cWtHx-1NJ9srTscXWabgtIea77v7t2czvzpP8jyL6ETU3Bg31hSb9VwBGlMXDXzCRZqDt4DHhY1Ow3/s1600/IMG_2253.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcAcYOPqc0vpclML61iRxQ3vjgZE7SpoiODjxQTWBzBZ56NRFJWutaF2teulUcTSN6JiF2t1S79c9TN3wEGyshooi7b58FzHSg75cgUtmOsP53dCIvTfGDargvjRVmDioIZLIsdMomoLM1LPhU5iAtQtqESQVL_wUbE0nLDtrPJ4Az0Bh93GTGmtkk7omS/s320/IMG_2123.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcAcYOPqc0vpclML61iRxQ3vjgZE7SpoiODjxQTWBzBZ56NRFJWutaF2teulUcTSN6JiF2t1S79c9TN3wEGyshooi7b58FzHSg75cgUtmOsP53dCIvTfGDargvjRVmDioIZLIsdMomoLM1LPhU5iAtQtqESQVL_wUbE0nLDtrPJ4Az0Bh93GTGmtkk7omS/s1600/IMG_2123.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Mitch Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003214337172183828noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211760826939639921.post-72647395363585228112024-02-29T08:18:00.000-08:002024-02-29T08:18:45.916-08:00Happy Birthday!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6h526nMgqqsWJx0w4m89jC-CQA4UxyU0CRe4X8nWlGCF0eJctZlLzjVS7Du5HDWJtasG3bfWpatPccUEdYue9fh1ak9Vea5eIWgGor2c6IAsjjvp2jBdho-6ANyOTOPtCgvaLOcmyctqX_toAQgyr7cExLNatpb-9PoRksLqSUC5TnxopymAn52kKszbb/s269/happy%20birthday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="269" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6h526nMgqqsWJx0w4m89jC-CQA4UxyU0CRe4X8nWlGCF0eJctZlLzjVS7Du5HDWJtasG3bfWpatPccUEdYue9fh1ak9Vea5eIWgGor2c6IAsjjvp2jBdho-6ANyOTOPtCgvaLOcmyctqX_toAQgyr7cExLNatpb-9PoRksLqSUC5TnxopymAn52kKszbb/w352-h220/happy%20birthday.jpg" width="352" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Happy Birthday to all of you who have a birthday on leap day! You are the lucky ones who have 25% of the birthdays that the rest of us do. Here's to you 20 year old leap year babies who are actually 80 today! </p><p>The fact that leap year babies can count their birthdays at a much slower rate than the rest of us makes me think of my many birthdays. I have numerous birthdays throughout the year and thus I may be approaching 100 birthdays or more here in my normally 58th year. </p><p>Let me explain. I have downloaded many apps on my phone to get reward points from various establishments. I am a reward member at Chickfila, Red Lobster, Dunkin, Crumbl, Dominos, Regal, Qdoba, Freddy's, Cracker Barrel and McDonalds. Most, if not all, of the apps ask for your birthday month and day so you can get a special reward for your birthday. I don't like giving out my actual birthday. So, I usually have a birthday in the month after I download the app so I can enjoy my birthday gift soon! </p><p>This strategy gives me a variety of birthday presents throughout the year. I am a genius. I have managed to find a way to celebrate my birthday year round. But, if I have 10 extra birthdays a year, I am aging rather quickly. Now that I think about 10 extra a year, I'm probably closer to 200 at this point in my life.</p><p>My latest app addition was McDonalds last week. I am out of pocket on vacation most of March so I chose April 2 as my birthday. I can't wait to see what I get for my birthday!</p><p>Do any of you have leap year birthdays? If so, do you have one big blowout party every four years or do you celebrate every year even if it is on Feb 28th? Do any of you spread you app birthdays around and enjoy year round celebration like I do?</p><p>I still have a birthday reward from Red Lobster available until March 3rd. Chocolate cake with ice cream! Yum! And, Happy Birthday to me!</p>Mitch Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003214337172183828noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211760826939639921.post-82068293755644586112024-02-21T06:37:00.000-08:002024-02-21T06:37:29.123-08:00Root Beer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgLu2FouhsAndlfhxTEW_hVAZp8k2U8VZA-wqijl-GgKHb1mwJ1u6KwxxMAPaSwCPhRIMGlPsU8GIt9f84So1LkzSaeVC27UGj1erO7mF39vAUNfGOvYE9QNn54it2sz_udxf904XHrVLRro74NeH6Hf-hmeJCSoQkKWUoAtuv0g_Q5rp0Iqm-ytBHALc5/s320/Root%20beer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgLu2FouhsAndlfhxTEW_hVAZp8k2U8VZA-wqijl-GgKHb1mwJ1u6KwxxMAPaSwCPhRIMGlPsU8GIt9f84So1LkzSaeVC27UGj1erO7mF39vAUNfGOvYE9QNn54it2sz_udxf904XHrVLRro74NeH6Hf-hmeJCSoQkKWUoAtuv0g_Q5rp0Iqm-ytBHALc5/s1600/Root%20beer.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>I'm writing about a very important retirement topic this week. That topic is Root Beer! I've tried numerous different Root Beers over the years but recently have gotten on a kick to try even more root beer brands. I searched the internet today and found that the Root Beer Institute (who knew there was an Institute?) reports there are about 150 different brands of Root Beer. I think a new goal for me is to try and see how many of those 150 I can try over the next year or two.</p><p>Root Beer was originally made from the root bark of the sassafras tree as the primary flavor. In 1960 the FDA banned safrole, a key component of sassafras, because it was found to cause liver cancer in mice. Today's Root Beer is made with artificial flavors instead of sassafras. Root Beer was first sold in confectionary stores in the 1840's. Pharmacist Charles Elmer Hires developed the first commercially made "root tea" in 1875 and changed the name of the "non-alcoholic" tea to root beer to market it to coal miners. Barq's Root Beer began in 1898. A&W Root Beer began in California in 1919. </p><p>We have a neat little store here in Oklahoma City that has a cooler with a wide variety of Root Beers and Sarsaparillas. I have been there twice and bought a 6 pack of different Root Beers. The photo above is of a few of the ones I have in my refrigerator. I tried the Dublin Texas last night and it was very good. I have seen and tried several Root Beers when we travel to different areas of the country, but I have not kept track of them and not sure what I have tried or not tried.</p><p>This week, I began keeping the bottle caps and will begin a list of those I have tried to see how many I can sample in the near future. I would not be sampling 150 Root Beers if it was still made from real sassafras (pre 1960) as my liver could not handle that much poison. Not that the pure cain sugar will be particularly beneficial to my health either!</p><p>Here is a list of the top 19 Root Beers according to tastingtable.com. An asterisk indicates that I have tried it.</p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Sprecher</li><li>Bulldog</li><li>Hank's</li><li>Saranac</li><li>Boylan *</li><li>Virgil's *</li><li>Maine Root</li><li>Hosmer</li><li>Fitz's</li><li>Dublin Texas *</li><li>Sparky's</li><li>Dang! That's Good</li><li>Henry Weinhard's</li><li>IBC *</li><li>Sioux City *</li><li>A&W *</li><li>Dog n Suds</li><li>Mug *</li><li>Olde Rhode Island Molasses</li></ol><div>So, I'm off to a slow start and have only covered 7 from this list. I'm sure very few of us have not at least had Mug, A&W and IBC as those can be found in most any grocery store. </div><div><br /></div><div>Is anyone else out there on a Root Beer kick? Have you tried a unique Root Beer that you just love? How many have you tried of the list above? Are there any Sarsaparilla drinkers out there? Any other similar goals you may have of sampling a wide variety of a certain product?</div><div><br /></div><div>And remember to check the expiration date and don't try anything with a date older than 1960!</div><p></p>Mitch Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003214337172183828noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211760826939639921.post-38620705227167308332024-02-14T07:20:00.000-08:002024-02-14T07:20:30.104-08:00Weird Hobbies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidTSRs2DGP_w41QlDk_eg1HZ3oPhovwVI06AtAwyWyEjDfr06gX8dfL2plqsmyJCXEDzOY5GqOGv7DaPzcODOpACrPySvOYWm2QHZP-rWmtqMxY4BLcL1rygi6QyGT1sRcD7hm0kjXY-0w4mQ4Q6V9XKD-RcNrzxhtiSxzSTLuw075r5yZQZIDdZi5SeXh/s1280/weirdness.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidTSRs2DGP_w41QlDk_eg1HZ3oPhovwVI06AtAwyWyEjDfr06gX8dfL2plqsmyJCXEDzOY5GqOGv7DaPzcODOpACrPySvOYWm2QHZP-rWmtqMxY4BLcL1rygi6QyGT1sRcD7hm0kjXY-0w4mQ4Q6V9XKD-RcNrzxhtiSxzSTLuw075r5yZQZIDdZi5SeXh/s320/weirdness.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>I posted back in 2022 about retirement hobbies and discussed several common hobbies and talked about my own hobby of metal detecting. Last night I ran across a guy that has the weirdest hobby I have ever heard about. I'll tell you about that encounter further down in the post.</p><p>This incident led me to search weird hobbies on the internet today. There are some very strange hobbies that people are pursuing and I guess the sky is the limit on how weird you can get with a hobby. Here are a few of those strange hobbies that popped up.</p><p>Toy voyaging. This unusual hobby includes sending your teddy bear or other toy to other places where a fellow hobbyist will host them and update you on your toy's adventure. This reminds me of the days when my two kids were in school and they sent a Flat Stanley to a distant relative. That relative would take Flat Stanley around their town and take photos and write about the places he visited. That was great fun for kids. But for grown adults? That sounds a little strange to me. </p><p>News bombing. Apparently there are people who make a hobby of seeking out news reporters and try to photo bomb the on camera interview. The example that came up in my search showed the photo below of a guy in a costume doing his news bombing. Interesting! I've also heard that people do something similar with Google cars on the street doing the street view filming. People live for that moment where they can jump out on their yard or driveway when the Google cars comes by and then pose for a prank of some kind.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0E3AY1rLM0GVWu4D7Ln_aKoGhO5lV3Xaib1RkMkk-1iv9t9IcwKnS2m_4vkNvoeddCpNvHmo7Hnwmj-bfigWCk2OQXoyTDDVFioJSG8xml9geiUxENoNKedzM0W3VeumNf_Mo1PqMcYm7MoHVWJdo3AAH8LhEiO24MDCvCimea8Sj8iYxYEsiRQic0pxq/s1161/news%20bombing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="646" data-original-width="1161" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0E3AY1rLM0GVWu4D7Ln_aKoGhO5lV3Xaib1RkMkk-1iv9t9IcwKnS2m_4vkNvoeddCpNvHmo7Hnwmj-bfigWCk2OQXoyTDDVFioJSG8xml9geiUxENoNKedzM0W3VeumNf_Mo1PqMcYm7MoHVWJdo3AAH8LhEiO24MDCvCimea8Sj8iYxYEsiRQic0pxq/s320/news%20bombing.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Collecting in-flight sick bags. This is one I don't understand at all. But, apparently there are people who collect these bags as a hobby. The bags I have seen are just plain and white. Maybe there are logos on some airline bags. That is just sick!</p><p>Collecting cups. This hobby involves collecting paper, plastic or styrofoam cups with logos from fast food places and other places. I would think this would take up a lot of room in your house. I guess it would be a fairly cheap hobby, especially if you just hung out by the trashcan or dumpster. Strange!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgru05uB7-LggzUd4rD69_7JRG8_bhlMhn3ocGtSVM3Af_QoTDSeDFJa_5woY69qFJSuhd523ABsj1XEeDOdbpElbwzaDAjT4JfDfdqheyQPrxMfaRrfrWtxX2GESM2yyS5sFExpqExatqEMJmMmhBlgFotpRuNEh3mtj56KDVqxJzNDze2wK1fkP0YRUdz/s630/fast%20food%20cups.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="630" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgru05uB7-LggzUd4rD69_7JRG8_bhlMhn3ocGtSVM3Af_QoTDSeDFJa_5woY69qFJSuhd523ABsj1XEeDOdbpElbwzaDAjT4JfDfdqheyQPrxMfaRrfrWtxX2GESM2yyS5sFExpqExatqEMJmMmhBlgFotpRuNEh3mtj56KDVqxJzNDze2wK1fkP0YRUdz/s320/fast%20food%20cups.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Sand and dirt collection. There are some who collect a small bottle of sand or dirt from places they have visited. I guess they want to permanently have a piece of their vacation. I understand this hobby a little more than others, but still a little different. This hobby leads me to the weirdest hobby I have ever heard of. Read on if you dare!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaCPW6F4_NA8cejOHPAkM-3uSCHsvsMAE7ZUcOLgsSezIqxXngDVVaEQXo-Ut4BpESHbjKkFrwT_R2AkxqVG3IPIL5f40t95-sA6OK7-fkMydrq-r6RdVc4E2Nu3YSVvNdmZ3KECAzwUU5iNhobr_sQvhYrdRyNG-emL4OTPmCJRFjZfiH418WsiHvPF0U/s4032/sand%20dirt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaCPW6F4_NA8cejOHPAkM-3uSCHsvsMAE7ZUcOLgsSezIqxXngDVVaEQXo-Ut4BpESHbjKkFrwT_R2AkxqVG3IPIL5f40t95-sA6OK7-fkMydrq-r6RdVc4E2Nu3YSVvNdmZ3KECAzwUU5iNhobr_sQvhYrdRyNG-emL4OTPmCJRFjZfiH418WsiHvPF0U/s320/sand%20dirt.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>At a meeting last night for my own hobby of metal detecting I sat with a group of three other detecting enthusiasts. One of them, I'll call him John Smith, took out a small decorated notebook and began showing it to our table. He opened it up and another guy commented about how detailed his writing appeared. Some of us in this hobby, me included, keep a log of when and where we detected and what was found. I assumed John's logbook was just that. He proceeded to tell us it was information on each grave he had visited. Oh, okay I thought. Now I assumed he had visited graves of relatives and ancestors. My wife and I visited a few old grave yards a few years ago to see where some of our ancestors were buried. So, I thought nothing of John's activities.</p><p>Then John said he had Bonnie & Clyde, David Koresh and a few other famous people. I thought what do you mean you "have"? At the same time he said he had 242 vials of dirt that he collected and sifted from these grave sites. What!??? Then he showed me a photo of a box he made to hold the vials. The box was a wooden casket he had built with holes inside to house the vials. Each one was labeled with date and name of the grave occupant. I have never heard of anything like this in my life. </p><p>When I searched the internet this morning, the only reference I could find of collecting grave dirt involved collecting it for witchcraft spells. There was no mention of this as being a hobby anywhere. This guy may be the only one in the world that does this. At least I hope it is or eventually these guys will collect so much dirt that these pour souls will have their bones exposed!</p><p>Have any of you heard of collecting grave dirt as a hobby? Have you heard of the other strange hobbies I listed above? Do you have a strange hobby or have you heard of other strange hobbies? I'm very interested in hearing what weird things people may do as a hobby.</p><p>Retirement is a perfect time to start new hobbies or pursue old hobbies. I encourage you all to participate in a hobby or invent your own weird hobby. Whatever you do, enjoy it to the max and don't worry about what other people, like myself, say about how weird your hobby is!</p><p>Now I'm wondering if John is a witch and cast spells with grave dirt. I think I'll find another table at next month's meeting!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Mitch Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003214337172183828noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211760826939639921.post-68573357699301720822024-02-06T11:36:00.000-08:002024-02-06T11:36:25.898-08:00Life Expectancy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghsSHCnj5-ZwAUe-Vlfr42lVMRgmhNRciLT8nTGAcA7NdNmdQIuPObB8BLeRqQ9WFj8XSavRsUI2rGAgaKv_ptO-Q3oNQZB_4r-tX_5y66ETO7LsLUSBV7vtQEW7-ODYa_NQp6_q3HjqQ59nrUUkCNFFQAZnJqGzmSmPAY8ehUmUGUhmsn2IGakPF5_XYy/s396/life%20expectancy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="396" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghsSHCnj5-ZwAUe-Vlfr42lVMRgmhNRciLT8nTGAcA7NdNmdQIuPObB8BLeRqQ9WFj8XSavRsUI2rGAgaKv_ptO-Q3oNQZB_4r-tX_5y66ETO7LsLUSBV7vtQEW7-ODYa_NQp6_q3HjqQ59nrUUkCNFFQAZnJqGzmSmPAY8ehUmUGUhmsn2IGakPF5_XYy/s320/life%20expectancy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>I don't know if it's just me, but as I get older I think more about how much life I have left in me. I contemplate what I want to get done in the time that is left. Things to do. Things to see. People to enjoy being around. I find myself checking the life expectancy charts. Today I found that the U.S. life expectancy for a male (2023) is 73.2 on one news site. I'm not sure I'm too happy about that. I'm currently 58 and 73.2 doesn't sound that far away. </p><p>A check of the Social Security actuarial life table made me feel much better. That table shows that a 58 year old can expect to live, on average, another 21.95 years putting me at about 80. So, I'm going with those figures and just gained about 7 more years of life. </p><p>I'm just playing around with all these figures. I know that anything can happen to us at any time. A speeding bus can hit me. A new disease can hit me. A heart attack can happen at any moment. But, it definitely gives me some hope by viewing the SSA tables at this point in my life. </p><p>There are many more life expectancy calculators on the internet from different financial and insurance companies. Some ask a few questions about your life. Some ask for many more details. Some will ask for your age and gender while others ask that plus height, weight, blood pressure, drinking, smoking, etc. All estimates must be taken with a grain of salt since it all involves averages. If you average two men who died at 60 and 90 you get a life expectancy of 75. Which is a 15 year difference plus or minus and shows the vast difference in the actual life lived. I realize that the actuarial table are probably built on average of millions and millions and are pretty accurate for an average life span. But that is all it is, an average. And few of us are average. </p><p>I guess we all should look at this in a different way. Rather than look at how long I'm expected to live, I should be looking at what kind of life I expect to live during the time I'm here. A whole different "life expectancy". </p><p>As you get older do you ponder the life you have left very often? Have you ever searched the life expectancy tables? I don't mean for this post to be overly morbid. I just want to make sure we all fill our remaining years with the good stuff. Being around those we love and enjoy. Seeing and doing things we want to experience in this life. Finding our purpose. Leaving our legacy and great memories. </p><p>I've got to work on my plan for those next 21.95 years I have left and hope to exceed those silly life expectancy tables and live to 150! May you all excel in life expectancy!</p>Mitch Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003214337172183828noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211760826939639921.post-36165737095758764492024-01-31T06:36:00.000-08:002024-01-31T06:36:01.811-08:00Other Little Details<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjm9PMIYX4LIJTFntnrdFZsrnqzuiUEQfk1ObLZXiqoGASQDLpmORq7-Sw8sZqxUiXCDLQfDSbM_9tY3qmmKhYgH93q_eji2Fkfwvt_qVtGPjmpaB7K2pE_VJu0B6U5042cvKus53QKq7LNFsQ-Bh6_TjvrRKZ5M94a1XBSMZh5LoCs7fVoVF-TbMsLwwX/s375/Newby-McMahon_Building,_1919.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjm9PMIYX4LIJTFntnrdFZsrnqzuiUEQfk1ObLZXiqoGASQDLpmORq7-Sw8sZqxUiXCDLQfDSbM_9tY3qmmKhYgH93q_eji2Fkfwvt_qVtGPjmpaB7K2pE_VJu0B6U5042cvKus53QKq7LNFsQ-Bh6_TjvrRKZ5M94a1XBSMZh5LoCs7fVoVF-TbMsLwwX/s320/Newby-McMahon_Building,_1919.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><br /><p>My last post was about noticing little details in a granite countertop and in other places as we go through life. This post will be about little details that we need to pay attention to in our retirement life.</p><p>My wife and I recently made a trip to Wichita Falls, TX and stumbled upon a sign for the World's Littlest Skyscraper. Of course we had to follow the arrow and see what this was. We grew up in North Texas, about 2 hours or so from Wichita Falls, and have been there numerous times but never heard of this Skyscraper. We pulled down an alley and saw a tiny little four story building with the sign attached to it. We took a photo and thought it was a cute little building.</p><p>Once I got home, I searched the internet for the World's Littlest Skyscraper and discovered a fascinating story behind it. A man by the name of McMahon promised to build a high rise building in the city. He collected $200,000 (Over $3 million in today's value) from investors and built the building in 1919. Investors sued him because they had believed the building was going to be 480 feet tall. McMahon won the court case because the actual blueprints were in inches, not feet. McMahon disappeared with the remaining funds. This swindle is a textbook case of one needing to read the fine print. I can imagine that everyone in the room believed that the building was going to be 480 feet tall instead of 480 inches tall. I can imagine looking at the blueprint and not paying attention to something as small as the notation after 480 being a ' for feet or " for inches. A very small thing that made a huge difference in the size of the building. </p><p>This age old lesson can be applied by everyone in life and especially in retirement. We all need to pay attention to the small print and to the fine details that may be hidden. Pay attention to the rules of any subscription you may sign up for so you are not surprised when something changes. Recently, my car wash membership monthly payment went from $10 to $12. I asked the attendant about the increase last week. He said the $10 was an introductory fee and after six months it went to $12. This is a small detail that I didn't see or pay attention to. Not that it matters much in this case as I will still get more than my money's worth at $12. At least I didn't buy into a skyscraper!</p><p>Pay attention to the small details of all of your monthly bills. Recently, I looked over my phone bill and discovered a $17 a month charge for phone insurance. I did not sign up for this when I bought a new phone last month and had it quickly deleted. I'm sure the sales clerk just punched the button for that automatically and unless you notice it on your bill you could pay for months for something you didn't sign up for. Again, at least it wasn't a skyscraper.</p><p>Have you found any small print or little details that have added costs to something without your knowledge? What other examples can you think of in other areas of the retired life that we need to take a closer look at? Mind your inches and feet and save yourself some money!</p>Mitch Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003214337172183828noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211760826939639921.post-63506375965206032822024-01-24T07:29:00.000-08:002024-01-24T07:29:27.278-08:00Little Details<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8arBTXBLZB0clNtdvN7WzgcHJIPi3Tyo3VsiqAtnbV715cNJWcnrmrNRpHlExFbKBtxR-1lnuq7D75A7sQdVTpArxhmoQgEnanUpUc1qU9J5sExlcBZdU_O-9AfVrpFhlD8JBMjompOGQBS69NSUX3vAcGZOmPzT3E5ZSugws_Uj_57smZthLPx1MsvUL/s320/Granite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8arBTXBLZB0clNtdvN7WzgcHJIPi3Tyo3VsiqAtnbV715cNJWcnrmrNRpHlExFbKBtxR-1lnuq7D75A7sQdVTpArxhmoQgEnanUpUc1qU9J5sExlcBZdU_O-9AfVrpFhlD8JBMjompOGQBS69NSUX3vAcGZOmPzT3E5ZSugws_Uj_57smZthLPx1MsvUL/w401-h246/Granite.jpg" width="401" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>I've read numerous articles and books that suggest paying attention to little details in life to help me appreciate things around me. I have done this often and seen the tiny details of various plants, bugs, flowers, etc. outside. Most often I do not go through my day looking for those tiny details.</p><p>About a month ago I was sitting at our kitchen island on a barstool and enjoying a bowl of cereal. Our kitchen island and countertops have a white granite surface. For the first time I noticed, really noticed, the granite. My wife and I have lived in this home for four years and this is the first time that I really looked closely at the granite. I focused on what I was looking at and noticed the different colors and flecks of material within the granite. I noticed how cool the quartz looked within the granite. There were several spots of quartz that appeared to have depth due to the clarity of the quartz. As I looked closely, I was amazed at how interesting and beautiful the granite was. I thoroughly enjoyed the moment and felt like I was finally seeing the granite for the beauty it was. When my wife woke up, I had her come look at the granite with my newly found vision for details. She wasn't as enthused as I was and I am pretty sure she thought I was finally losing it a little!</p><p>Now that I have seen the details for the countertop, I notice the small details in it every time I'm in the kitchen. It truly gave me a new appreciation for something as simple as a countertop. As I type this post, I have noticed, more closely, the wood grain on my desk top. I now notice a few knots that I haven't noticed before. The visible tree rings are beautiful and shows the wet years and dry years in the spacing. On the negative side, I also notice the glass top needs cleaning!</p><p>If you haven't looked at something recently to inspect the small details, I highly recommend you give it a try. Here is your homework for this post. If you have granite countertop, go take a look and see if you are as amazed as I am about the details. If not granite, pick something else and really examine it like you never have before. Please report back in the comment section and I will give you a grade for the assignment!</p><p>Not only did I notice the details in the granite, it made me curious about granite. I began to search the internet for how granite is formed, how different colors were made, what are the small flecks and colors within the granite, etc. So, not only did I notice something in a new way, I also learned a little bit along the way. It is the little things in life that make daily living a wonderous thing. So, get out there and pay more attention to the small stuff of life!</p><p>Have you noticed any small details recently? Were you as happy as I was when really looking closely at something and rediscovering it all over again? </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZLjEgL2kQNuaZrEgdEB9OrCuYSq6r8Xs3XiUH1bsKlo2Igp_UGeFXIXd_ssydIOxxxtDn_yngWhn-JHmSXRQK9huenDsp3_Wk0Dd5jap3qwyDJZcTZI4Sow0EiSGdArJL1MRK3CaZlHdviiNNiNaHdq-Gn-Wo9qRReYq0BtiRSu-xeXU-OVptMxeu3A7L/s320/Granite%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZLjEgL2kQNuaZrEgdEB9OrCuYSq6r8Xs3XiUH1bsKlo2Igp_UGeFXIXd_ssydIOxxxtDn_yngWhn-JHmSXRQK9huenDsp3_Wk0Dd5jap3qwyDJZcTZI4Sow0EiSGdArJL1MRK3CaZlHdviiNNiNaHdq-Gn-Wo9qRReYq0BtiRSu-xeXU-OVptMxeu3A7L/s1600/Granite%201.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx6bb-F4wL-RJWnkRe0ZqIMj2R-NiHcm738dri8_PR8WE3hpb0V32llW5iXUeDjM4Ith_aFAHrCf29x0Vz7flTDxcq0wQ5KfA-SOneKcpM6DSJzAbkHYBnL6WuMoxLXj8I78vosby0x_73FOvjviQmD_XlSXaAofOgPbSO6RKR6d6w0rMNMzcDeXBibt40/s320/Granite%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx6bb-F4wL-RJWnkRe0ZqIMj2R-NiHcm738dri8_PR8WE3hpb0V32llW5iXUeDjM4Ith_aFAHrCf29x0Vz7flTDxcq0wQ5KfA-SOneKcpM6DSJzAbkHYBnL6WuMoxLXj8I78vosby0x_73FOvjviQmD_XlSXaAofOgPbSO6RKR6d6w0rMNMzcDeXBibt40/s1600/Granite%202.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisHACXVbEWPVHMNwb5vv-ekhm5JCA729_MOpWX56Y1-iDQRrRPawXLtuCPuDOHOuyrJzxtDGWW6JaRcpOKGSt4D1bksVsK_gV_D9qXdpuoMRVaaV3GC68RI-qBnPqI7QfyQQyxcYMren064-pBJujkfTgvMfEN_J6oFxkHw6CiQh-j9Eg40g2TepaILyru/s320/Granite%203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisHACXVbEWPVHMNwb5vv-ekhm5JCA729_MOpWX56Y1-iDQRrRPawXLtuCPuDOHOuyrJzxtDGWW6JaRcpOKGSt4D1bksVsK_gV_D9qXdpuoMRVaaV3GC68RI-qBnPqI7QfyQQyxcYMren064-pBJujkfTgvMfEN_J6oFxkHw6CiQh-j9Eg40g2TepaILyru/s1600/Granite%203.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Mitch Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003214337172183828noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211760826939639921.post-71796579492308555192024-01-07T07:14:00.000-08:002024-01-07T07:14:55.346-08:00Unique Gifts<p>Christmas, Birthday and Father's Day are all gift receiving days for me. It seems like in this stage of life, I have about everything I need. When asked for gift ideas, it is very hard to come up with a wish list. </p><p>This Christmas I received several unique gifts that I really enjoyed opening. I received a grill cleaning tool from my daughter that is very unique. She explained that the cleaning head was made of the same material firefighter clothing is made of and is supposed to last for years. You soak the end in water and use it to steam scrub your grill grates. I can't wait to give it a try! Another unique gift was from my wife. She gave me a two piece set of tube squeezers. They are simple little devices to put on the end of a tube of toothpaste or medicine and roll up the tube as you use it. Very cool! She also gifted me a set of silver dice that have dining options on each face of the dice. We often want to eat out but can't make up our mind where to go. Now, I can roll the dice and land on a decision of Mexican, Pasta, Subs, Chinese, Chicken, Pizza and many more. None of these gifts would have crossed my mind to add to a wish list, nor did I even know they existed as a gift option.</p><p>I gave a unique gift to my son. It was a pen made from bullet casings. It is a very nice and heavy pen and writes very good. I hinted that I might need one for Father's Day! My wife loves to chew on nugget type ice and always refills her drink cup at certain restaurants with ice to take home and munch on throughout the day. For Christmas, I got her a countertop nugget ice machine. She loves having a constant supply of her favorite nugget ice. I just need to get a set of noise cancelling headphones for the crunching!</p><p>Did you receive any unique gifts at Christmas or over the past year? Did you give any unique gifts? How many of you got the old standby of socks and underwear? I got those too!</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhArg3uqki59XETKxUqYTUsND5tGj5reGlbJBZHPa-UJ8rmpjujIHVVsFBjBrB-fYZ4DPw-mlX63-yeOksp3rpQ6KBJa-RKqzBZIK8w09wyV2nQ7GdZBaK6J4HHkuWzwS_2_g-fdoeYdbWKD1lvyboiXyE0DDpIY0Lj2bLsr0_-56dAAracI-HvmkkQenLE/s220/grill%20brush.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="220" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhArg3uqki59XETKxUqYTUsND5tGj5reGlbJBZHPa-UJ8rmpjujIHVVsFBjBrB-fYZ4DPw-mlX63-yeOksp3rpQ6KBJa-RKqzBZIK8w09wyV2nQ7GdZBaK6J4HHkuWzwS_2_g-fdoeYdbWKD1lvyboiXyE0DDpIY0Lj2bLsr0_-56dAAracI-HvmkkQenLE/s1600/grill%20brush.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjURcgBIthHftiJHLyWLPD6jFBixs6IDxaBjafr6zOR9deWlMER5JpxYOjCctdj5lnEy3AL9E9Cc4CENpSTYiOIqZTLLotVE66EhjtwoGLLo6i9aCXLDPB5JhtOYMP2WpqMEcMi4iFH2bgJKENfhjFGNcbQlPG_xYie7o5LrpMgt-Na1DgZnrzmey9NrAqn/s138/tube%20squeezers.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="138" data-original-width="130" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjURcgBIthHftiJHLyWLPD6jFBixs6IDxaBjafr6zOR9deWlMER5JpxYOjCctdj5lnEy3AL9E9Cc4CENpSTYiOIqZTLLotVE66EhjtwoGLLo6i9aCXLDPB5JhtOYMP2WpqMEcMi4iFH2bgJKENfhjFGNcbQlPG_xYie7o5LrpMgt-Na1DgZnrzmey9NrAqn/w161-h138/tube%20squeezers.webp" width="161" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7pfKEl5yswCWE-nCYlZG3hJlNDgTnntCK_FgghvyGcJlCv9BLM8hkQPE_J8AvIRvPBvS41SnfhuUuHH7USC7HrWGu_MCT6Enm0N8AX_dbRmhaJ1OcEwAY6uOYQ1kmgyjj9TLkpbMo9AlfA35R7onCfRm_uc9lHSbhww78xOV5eLO369SY1de_hEyK24d6/s320/IMG_0915.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7pfKEl5yswCWE-nCYlZG3hJlNDgTnntCK_FgghvyGcJlCv9BLM8hkQPE_J8AvIRvPBvS41SnfhuUuHH7USC7HrWGu_MCT6Enm0N8AX_dbRmhaJ1OcEwAY6uOYQ1kmgyjj9TLkpbMo9AlfA35R7onCfRm_uc9lHSbhww78xOV5eLO369SY1de_hEyK24d6/s1600/IMG_0915.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Mitch Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003214337172183828noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211760826939639921.post-6345903391939799352024-01-01T06:30:00.000-08:002024-01-01T06:30:14.517-08:00ABQ Balloon Fiesta<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwO_WjcQbwj6i2Xe7OsJWQBMeX-JvZqQoV8HVXVmn4RNWrNgKsLf1w_3b6Od0GmwRHnfqbpOLrQY2aZoPcHLkvrgiTmB5zVtSgP18B-sXJjLTQFBYCA-Y6gycQ8kqELk9H-r9AUDelBjQZYhlosTkTJ0fj1RceqAa1v2uGucJ13bHwTnEO0QS_waZHb8Ih/s4032/IMG_9946.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwO_WjcQbwj6i2Xe7OsJWQBMeX-JvZqQoV8HVXVmn4RNWrNgKsLf1w_3b6Od0GmwRHnfqbpOLrQY2aZoPcHLkvrgiTmB5zVtSgP18B-sXJjLTQFBYCA-Y6gycQ8kqELk9H-r9AUDelBjQZYhlosTkTJ0fj1RceqAa1v2uGucJ13bHwTnEO0QS_waZHb8Ih/w362-h253/IMG_9946.HEIC" width="362" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div><p><br /></p><p>During my recent three month blogging break my wife and I added a few trips for 2023. In October we went to Albuquerque and attended the International Balloon Fiesta. This event has been on my bucket list for several years and we finally made the trip out. During my career I had oversight of an office in Albuquerque and made a couple of visits during the Fiesta but never made it out to the actual event.</p><p>We attended two night sessions which included a Special Shapes Glow and a general glow. Both of those nights were spectacular. During the glow, the announcer would count down and the balloons would all light their flames for an incredible sight. During the glow they would also do several flickers in which the flames were turned on and off rapidly which made the balloons twinkle across the field. The Fiesta is unique in the fact that you can walk among the balloon field while balloons are being inflated and during the glow sessions. It was just an incredible experience! We stayed one night for a drone show and fireworks show. Both shows were very good.</p><p>We attended one morning session for a mass ascension. What a sight to behold! We were there early and saw the balloons being inflated and then ascending in mass. It was an absolutely incredible scene to walk among the balloons and gaze skyward as all the colorful balloons floated just above you and on into the sky! If you can tell from my writing, I was very excited about this event. Everyone needs to attend it at least once. I can only describe the night glow and mass ascension as "magical". I was in awe of the whole thing and liken it to a "grand canyon" moment when you first see the grand canyon from the edge and see how fantastic it is. </p><p>A ride in a hot air balloon is also on my list. You can do one during the Fiesta but it is extremely expensive compared to booking a ride throughout the year. The expense is probably worth it during the Fiesta because once there, it appeared that some rides could be done during the mass ascension. That would be one great ride!</p><p>I will warn you of one thing...there are a lot of people at this event! But, it was well worth navigating through a crowd to see this. We chose the park and ride option and parked at a local mall and were shuttled in and out on school buses. It was definitely the way to go. I heard someone on our bus say they would never drive a car to it again because they waited in traffic for hours. The shuttle buses have a dedicated route that makes the bus ride an easy ride to the event. The buses were also interesting as the drivers had decorated the inside. One of ours was decorated with all things balloon related and the other was decorated for Halloween. </p><p>We got a bonus during this trip that I didn't realize when I booked it. The full solar eclipse happened while we were there at the Fiesta! </p><p>Any of you been to the Fiesta? If so, did you enjoy it as much as I did? Have any of you rode in a hot air balloon? This trip will be hard to beat and I highly recommend you put it on your list!</p><p>Happy New Year!</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaIPqXpUF9vVuW-klAkeSFiHl9xlO23REM_ITQCfDb85l12qyG4nyPzrMhyphenhyphenVg2IF5XNOCvY6KjnCkRYdhfWU06F0JHsaH0HttZ1h9LnRsHlVkeBnN77HaadDu8wl6W8xpG1i1kpr1CIwR0WOjeELLm3MGtrg6w_K6LCZF1eXiLSWKun9NZERYdYnxSaNKe/s4032/IMG_9998.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaIPqXpUF9vVuW-klAkeSFiHl9xlO23REM_ITQCfDb85l12qyG4nyPzrMhyphenhyphenVg2IF5XNOCvY6KjnCkRYdhfWU06F0JHsaH0HttZ1h9LnRsHlVkeBnN77HaadDu8wl6W8xpG1i1kpr1CIwR0WOjeELLm3MGtrg6w_K6LCZF1eXiLSWKun9NZERYdYnxSaNKe/s320/IMG_9998.HEIC" width="320" /></a></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ-rsyqdZSQVWTJe8vZkaqIIAJj8rqSdy5qLuvzgyfZen9rgqweWrBsQhLm-3DBS5aFTzb-FbRL-qoOw5khdMM3mmpR3cuRIdWPGM2vSuzLozj2NfiNY9Uv9-7Y6SNuChDDsGWV6NnOnI6qYDMb7qgh6GQ-efwQV1X_O7ZAfJ8ljYyUhIKbuFaCHJXMxqM/s4032/IMG_9902.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ-rsyqdZSQVWTJe8vZkaqIIAJj8rqSdy5qLuvzgyfZen9rgqweWrBsQhLm-3DBS5aFTzb-FbRL-qoOw5khdMM3mmpR3cuRIdWPGM2vSuzLozj2NfiNY9Uv9-7Y6SNuChDDsGWV6NnOnI6qYDMb7qgh6GQ-efwQV1X_O7ZAfJ8ljYyUhIKbuFaCHJXMxqM/s320/IMG_9902.HEIC" width="240" /></a></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfUds3kKTeiP2dPNtxcQCRZ-l5AWQj57mfXPqZGQyWsKeuKKN0cumRI4RvpMZ732kuF19CILTzlGoshjSxhKUYdjA9dEVDb_X7bMaUrDBR8p6lXBh1dZeitF4kUjqO5nXnJ5cFIkzmP6dn_zc9zp7JDu6clhZVxlN_5eiep6Hc5r0rB-CcwDPQENPWQosw/s4032/IMG_9872.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfUds3kKTeiP2dPNtxcQCRZ-l5AWQj57mfXPqZGQyWsKeuKKN0cumRI4RvpMZ732kuF19CILTzlGoshjSxhKUYdjA9dEVDb_X7bMaUrDBR8p6lXBh1dZeitF4kUjqO5nXnJ5cFIkzmP6dn_zc9zp7JDu6clhZVxlN_5eiep6Hc5r0rB-CcwDPQENPWQosw/s320/IMG_9872.HEIC" width="320" /></a></p>Mitch Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003214337172183828noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211760826939639921.post-16348874103314494832023-12-29T06:58:00.000-08:002023-12-29T06:58:43.452-08:00Where Have I Been?<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyKF5irvlkeRxmBZ8LvWMOTb3AbAHJ2ksL0rU0i39y0PdCB265epCKIe5ltJ92d7kCe_Keou_OFVz5G-Xv0k6dMtdbOLLgw94HJdXYLZc4ysSvrKomuruZpU6lQqjlh2qkLE6RqrAth-l3MFJewycUcfwX6hnTXcL7KaHNUmlipwhCYdLV4EwDOoOWgCdD/s275/question%20mark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="275" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyKF5irvlkeRxmBZ8LvWMOTb3AbAHJ2ksL0rU0i39y0PdCB265epCKIe5ltJ92d7kCe_Keou_OFVz5G-Xv0k6dMtdbOLLgw94HJdXYLZc4ysSvrKomuruZpU6lQqjlh2qkLE6RqrAth-l3MFJewycUcfwX6hnTXcL7KaHNUmlipwhCYdLV4EwDOoOWgCdD/s1600/question%20mark.jpg" width="275" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p>If you check my blog regularly, you have noticed I haven't posted since Oct 2, 2023. I took a little unscheduled break. </p><p>It wasn't planned.</p><p>It wasn't expected.</p><p>It just happened.</p><p>I just went one week without posting and then another and another and so on. I thought about stopping altogether, but decided I enjoyed doing this and will give it another go. I just need to come up with some interesting topics and away I will go. Stay tuned. My first 2024 post will be out soon!</p><p><br /></p>Mitch Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003214337172183828noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211760826939639921.post-90798666161766647732023-10-02T07:18:00.001-07:002023-10-02T07:18:19.915-07:00Relationships: Neighbors<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_djvnYHvzZMV-jA0Sj_o2M4MYQecFWngZ8md6A3gRa0cbvgk-4GjXgjspBAl-mbpQBLCELzzk-n7bsue1I8YRB0X-VdsE7hnaDAkdAD1-k91bR2ScomI1VdsqpFBETJRrtHeRI7z2hH6dJQlGlMzyuUj7r3v3zYuAx-IY9hxDUo9OLKObtk4L4E6B3FUo/s392/neighbors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="392" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_djvnYHvzZMV-jA0Sj_o2M4MYQecFWngZ8md6A3gRa0cbvgk-4GjXgjspBAl-mbpQBLCELzzk-n7bsue1I8YRB0X-VdsE7hnaDAkdAD1-k91bR2ScomI1VdsqpFBETJRrtHeRI7z2hH6dJQlGlMzyuUj7r3v3zYuAx-IY9hxDUo9OLKObtk4L4E6B3FUo/w379-h193/neighbors.jpg" width="379" /></a></div><br /><p>I've read numerous articles and blogs about the importance of relationships in life. Having great relationships helps us lead a more satisfying and happy life. When I think about relationships, I think about the many different kind of relationships we may have in life. We may have relationships with fellow students while in school with the common thread of school and school activities. Then move on to work relationships with coworkers and business associates. We have relationships with family, friends and other people we meet along the way. We have relationships that are church, club or other organization related. </p><p>This post will focus on relationships with neighbors. I grew up with my two sisters and parents on 26 acres out on a little gravel country road in Texas. Our closest neighbors were about a quarter mile away on their own 50 acres. Prior to that we lived in a trailer park for a year or so and I remember being friends with two other kids in the park and playing with them some. I was probably about 5 or 6 at the time, so the memories are a little fuzzy. In the trailer park I remember a neighbor who had a pristine lawn with a sign that said something to the effect of "stay off". There was an elderly man in the neighborhood, Mr. Wilson, that would have us kids in for popcorn. Now that I'm older and wiser, I wonder about Mr. Wilson's motives were with his friendliness towards young kids. I hope he was just a grandfather type who loved kids in 1970. </p><p>Our country neighbor, Tom, that was a quarter mile down the country road and was a great guy. He was married and his kids were grown. We saw him all the time running up and down that country road in an old Toyota pickup. He loved fishing and took me on many fishing trips. He would stop by the house often and drop off ready-to-eat catfish and was just an all around good man. He took the time to take me fishing and allowed me to fish in his pond on his property. He acted the part of a grandpa at the time. My dad would help him with anything he needed and Tom would help my dad any way he could. You couldn't ask for a better country neighbor. </p><p>Over the years we have moved around and lived in many different neighborhoods. When our kids were young, we usually lived in neighborhoods with similar aged families and kids. In one neighborhood, every nice evening would find several families, on the street, outside in lawn chairs watching the kids play. All of us enjoyed the time outside and enjoyed seeing each other at school functions and neighborhood social events. The neighborhood had a pool and we would see neighbors frequently at the pool. Other neighborhoods, that we have lived, found us barely knowing our next door neighbors. It seemed everyone was too busy to socialize and stayed inside when they were home. </p><p>Our current neighborhood is full of people our age or older. There are very few kids playing around unless someone has grandkids over. Most appear to be retired and take great care of their homes. We have met some great people on our street, behind us and in the neighborhood. Our neighbors across the street recently moved and have their house up for sale. Another neighbor a few houses down is about to sell and move into a retirement center. So, we will be seeing some transition on the street. </p><p>We know our neighbors, but aren't super close to them. A couple of them have stepped into our house, but we haven't really had any over for a party or dinner or anything. When our kids were young, we had Halloween, Christmas and other parties and enjoyed them very much. I know we need to reach out and build a closer relationship with a few of our current neighbors as they will probably be our neighbors for years into the future. I always come up with excuses of having too much to do, or it is too hot to visit in the backyard, or some other lame excuse. I need to just invite a couple over, have a coke and visit.</p><p>Our neighbor behind us is a Vietnam Veteran and is widowed and would have some great stories to tell, I'm sure. Our next door neighbor is a widow and probably would like some company and someone to talk to. Again, my wife and I need to make that effort to reach out and build those relationships. We need to get to party planning!</p><p>How close are your relationships with your neighbors? Do you have frequent meetings, parties, etc. with them? Do you have any neighbors that are also great friends? Any advice to share in building relationships with neighbors? And for fun, any of you have any horrible neighbor stories?</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Mitch Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003214337172183828noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211760826939639921.post-13549294783410734502023-09-26T19:21:00.000-07:002023-09-26T19:21:46.913-07:00The Great Stuff of Life!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFAB7fkMrsoUd3PBX6-oltQKyHOfDmgma4rOTBLRsUXPmWBCT7gGDQXoyARCjKqqvYQaYolpF7YBcqzc8ymRWejHem8kwZ2g-Sn6DO0lKh4GMM4lXAOuVZdOPCQQ_ACh-qOooUugkD6fgv35vkxhjATkE62grqTykf7XRFK49Wzoyk1f3fFIR0VoC2qQ1C/s203/foam.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="203" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFAB7fkMrsoUd3PBX6-oltQKyHOfDmgma4rOTBLRsUXPmWBCT7gGDQXoyARCjKqqvYQaYolpF7YBcqzc8ymRWejHem8kwZ2g-Sn6DO0lKh4GMM4lXAOuVZdOPCQQ_ACh-qOooUugkD6fgv35vkxhjATkE62grqTykf7XRFK49Wzoyk1f3fFIR0VoC2qQ1C/w339-h235/foam.jpg" width="339" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>During my 58 years on this earth I have amassed some great memories. Some are great memories, some are memories of not so great things. The totality of all those experiences is what makes living on this earth so awesome. The good memories and the fun memories are the great stuff of life! </p><p>I was in Home Depot the other day and noticed something on the shelf that brought back a funny memory and one that gets brought up every now and then. Many years ago, my wife and I decided to build a small pond in the backyard of our new home. The back lawn was a pretty bare landscape with no plants or features other than grass laid by the homebuilder. We planted a few trees and shrubs and added a flower bed or two. Our grand plan was to put a nice pond in the middle of the yard with a nice rock waterfall on one end that would produce a relaxing, running water sound. </p><p>We purchased a solid plastic pond form and dug a big hole in the hard clay soil. We piled the dirt from the hole up on one end so we could lay our rocks and make a waterfall. I researched the size of pump needed and purchased and set it in place. We had researched different ways to set the rocks for the waterfall and the best way to fill in the cracks in between the rocks so the water would flow correctly. A more involved process involved mortar and an easy process involved the spray foam Great Stuff. We chose the easier way and bought a can or two of Great Stuff. </p><p>I filled in the cracks as best I could with the Great Stuff. It takes some practice to judge how much the foam expands so you don't get too little or too much. My plan was to let the foam dry and then trim any areas with a knife or razor blade. </p><p>My wife decided she was going to smooth out the spray foam with her fingers while it was wet. Not a great idea!! I was in the house cleaning up or doing something else when she walked in with sticky spray foam all over her hands. I laughed and made some comment about that not being a great idea. She laughed too and was determined to clean this stuff off her hands. The sticky foam does not come off easy. You need a solvent of some kind to get it off. It is as sticky as getting Super Glue all over your hands. Her next great idea was to grab some paper towels to wipe off the sticky spray foam. You can guess how that went. Now she had bits and pieces of paper towels stuck to the Great Stuff that was stuck to her hands. It was the biggest mess ever! We were both laughing so hard as the situation continued to get worse. I wish we had a video to send off to America's Funniest Videos or to put on the internet to go viral. </p><p>My only solution was to grab some gasoline. It took a lot of scrubbing with gasoline to get the mess off her hands. To this day, we laugh about that experience and she has never touched Great Stuff again! Our pond turned out great but never looked very natural in the middle of our yard. We later had trouble with algae growing down the waterfall and into the pond. It never did look like a Better Homes & Garden backyard pond. But, we have one great memory from that pond building experience!</p><p>What great stuff memory do you have from your life experience? Any of you had similar experiences with the actual Great Stuff, Super Glue or something similar?</p>Mitch Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003214337172183828noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211760826939639921.post-7438202253522308452023-09-20T09:11:00.000-07:002023-09-20T09:11:00.038-07:00How Talented Are We! Pottery Throwing<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiws7k7e21GvnPf9VKZWC9VrShWLWh1xuflwB0B3XuMTRiiUDrY9knU_IIDfwdvcSjsrFRwqpdHS6miWgdPLFzsf_u19-ONnLFlcUDoIhBiXSvCL91UNwHwp-ANHde3crRwiKo3T2fcw-Oz1OqByQuIKmg1KkclyB7SxKVT-P-XyGifxRX8FQOBI3nNQY8W/s270/pottery%20wheel.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="270" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiws7k7e21GvnPf9VKZWC9VrShWLWh1xuflwB0B3XuMTRiiUDrY9knU_IIDfwdvcSjsrFRwqpdHS6miWgdPLFzsf_u19-ONnLFlcUDoIhBiXSvCL91UNwHwp-ANHde3crRwiKo3T2fcw-Oz1OqByQuIKmg1KkclyB7SxKVT-P-XyGifxRX8FQOBI3nNQY8W/w338-h198/pottery%20wheel.jpg" width="338" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p>I started to put a question mark at the end of "How Talented Are We" but changed it to an exclamation to make it a statement of fact rather than a question. You can make the determination of which is the most appropriate.</p><p>I've posted in the past about trying new things and continue to look for opportunities to experience something that I haven't done before. Last month my wife and I took a two hour pottery throwing class. This was something we have never done and thought would be fun to try. It was a lot of fun!</p><p>We put on an apron and then sat at our own pottery wheel with four other students. After a brief demonstration by our instructor we were handed three chunks of clay to make our three masterpieces. I had joked for a month that I was going to make three ashtrays, even though no one in our family smokes. </p><p>I slammed down the chunk of clay into the center of the wheel. Yes, you really have to slam it on to make it stick good. My first piece was fairly easy to do and I got pretty confident in my abilities at making pottery! I made a nice little bowl. I slammed my second piece of clay and started on my second masterpiece. I decided to make this one a little taller so it could be considered a vase. Boy, oh boy, the second try was a disaster. I collapsed my bowl vase ashtray thing several times. I would try to form it up as it was spinning and then it would get all out of balance and clay flew everywhere. I finally gave up on that piece and attribute the failure to bad clay! My third piece of clay went much better and then the instructor gave me another piece of clay to try again.</p><p>We completed three pieces each and had our aprons, arms and hands covered in slimy clay mud. After the pieces were glazed and fired we picked them up a couple of weeks later. We were impressed with how well they came out. The photos below show our pieces, mine are blue and my wife's are green. I made three bowls and she made a spoon rest, jewelry bowl and bowl. We did a Facebook post and my youngest sister said one of mine looked a little "wonky". I agree it is a little imperfect but was a pretty cool piece made by my own hands. Besides that, my sister is a little "wonky" herself! I told her and will tell you all, pottery throwing is not as easy as it looks.</p><p>Has anyone tried a pottery wheel? Are any of you really into it as a hobby and make awesome pieces? Have any of you tried a new thing lately? If not, I encourage you to try something new to try. As I always say "You never know 'til you go"!</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP5GV0NtOGMPQhfWF4Ld_hmP-72SBCrRJM6gO-07OGzVDXezHwNuUHmeGiQ-nyS6-HSf7wT2aiXn6dTpGEiGPqxUCN3PVwVVYjQcMf2HRk7V23gtOnNNUaxhV1Fl-hJTEhD96-hjQ348_4X8_1BhZdMA8oVhl8NFG4wv3mzJeFXku5nCW3b5-tGNF4hW56/s320/IMG_9767.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP5GV0NtOGMPQhfWF4Ld_hmP-72SBCrRJM6gO-07OGzVDXezHwNuUHmeGiQ-nyS6-HSf7wT2aiXn6dTpGEiGPqxUCN3PVwVVYjQcMf2HRk7V23gtOnNNUaxhV1Fl-hJTEhD96-hjQ348_4X8_1BhZdMA8oVhl8NFG4wv3mzJeFXku5nCW3b5-tGNF4hW56/s1600/IMG_9767.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisHX8fZSpkuKz2AHiyudFqPAOVzmdF_5PnGEi2Dt0HSJJwkkgoPhtL48cqoN6pLIduZwWeBVZJFehk_kpOwhqQ9bY0jJMKnzuyqXMg3FXl1imSdDKi41-agi1liU-2L0d0f8glKmSpguszXFy4vTQ26OuCs7lN50hUkMp5qVLHR-wOLQQTYa6md8e1_Xod/s320/IMG_9781.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisHX8fZSpkuKz2AHiyudFqPAOVzmdF_5PnGEi2Dt0HSJJwkkgoPhtL48cqoN6pLIduZwWeBVZJFehk_kpOwhqQ9bY0jJMKnzuyqXMg3FXl1imSdDKi41-agi1liU-2L0d0f8glKmSpguszXFy4vTQ26OuCs7lN50hUkMp5qVLHR-wOLQQTYa6md8e1_Xod/s1600/IMG_9781.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNOFzF302J6O-C24xz7H-PT43Q5bqltsNjjOa0xth46-9uOA0cBjvyCZY0c9uK9keYhjv15lI2z_W-LAPnkCtwPTIuUnGhrNFa_451r3f27bDsyoFKJUUcAUsO_USXO3McSnYBUE7BMIUIGS1qfk3R_dhzHqo5-fR0WHdrAMo_b-QDp2LXmbjuea2grxiX/s320/IMG_9411.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNOFzF302J6O-C24xz7H-PT43Q5bqltsNjjOa0xth46-9uOA0cBjvyCZY0c9uK9keYhjv15lI2z_W-LAPnkCtwPTIuUnGhrNFa_451r3f27bDsyoFKJUUcAUsO_USXO3McSnYBUE7BMIUIGS1qfk3R_dhzHqo5-fR0WHdrAMo_b-QDp2LXmbjuea2grxiX/s1600/IMG_9411.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6x0KCNrF-OQrSi3hhM4AIa-JDB2jsqfYrcggW9Z0mKufI9YXXjtlnXRuMZIVGJUm-rRG8b3su6mpKC2tfN_q1VmAijxMV5NCkPiRRgX0gIsPu2-E24iZU7tTaMRpZyBWhMNBTEanaSd1TA07E2bu3dCIhP-no55xiLgO1wnRovBxPnKjuRZhPsM26EXBV/s320/IMG_9408.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6x0KCNrF-OQrSi3hhM4AIa-JDB2jsqfYrcggW9Z0mKufI9YXXjtlnXRuMZIVGJUm-rRG8b3su6mpKC2tfN_q1VmAijxMV5NCkPiRRgX0gIsPu2-E24iZU7tTaMRpZyBWhMNBTEanaSd1TA07E2bu3dCIhP-no55xiLgO1wnRovBxPnKjuRZhPsM26EXBV/s1600/IMG_9408.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidReVvpOGTyrO8wTNalaAKBxpGXfuaT5VilkTuhmbcKQFkGUP1DE6-zNLncM8TqKStVLu13BfI0r1wdE30H6Sd11HjGtABQEme0QemrVKdmBen1eCtnSyUL2tzs61q0LpLg2zdCzRZ7EzYHj7hHepOlTXWs_joKevLnX_Z8otFFz6ppc94xJvlTlitarHH/s2319/IMG_0363.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1634" data-original-width="2319" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidReVvpOGTyrO8wTNalaAKBxpGXfuaT5VilkTuhmbcKQFkGUP1DE6-zNLncM8TqKStVLu13BfI0r1wdE30H6Sd11HjGtABQEme0QemrVKdmBen1eCtnSyUL2tzs61q0LpLg2zdCzRZ7EzYHj7hHepOlTXWs_joKevLnX_Z8otFFz6ppc94xJvlTlitarHH/s320/IMG_0363.heic" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiRq-9canL_XsxxiwVEMcx2BJ5j4gVSnHrxwwtrsb12DYp_NEIIKx0NOq_-bMM9z439EoTHcSFo-YyNqDSJ2zFOmuDYmK-wAwmha94Dr6OYu-1j_kpGMzfXFrYYcR3mN8rqFTNQeRbAVEUIKrvDMnUugOMZcHc4I0kECw4fjgeZGb08OQMMHrbDNrB0Kak/s4032/IMG_0362.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2516" data-original-width="4032" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiRq-9canL_XsxxiwVEMcx2BJ5j4gVSnHrxwwtrsb12DYp_NEIIKx0NOq_-bMM9z439EoTHcSFo-YyNqDSJ2zFOmuDYmK-wAwmha94Dr6OYu-1j_kpGMzfXFrYYcR3mN8rqFTNQeRbAVEUIKrvDMnUugOMZcHc4I0kECw4fjgeZGb08OQMMHrbDNrB0Kak/s320/IMG_0362.heic" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Mitch Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003214337172183828noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211760826939639921.post-24737031087330057712023-09-15T05:14:00.000-07:002023-09-15T05:14:36.158-07:00Rocket Launch<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjE1E_rmTOrlCyHrApFIRDJmYJ_-D0Cok2FZudGboDUil0yFtsBmrFvxTLhgBcA_taLOeEYSZBMiJFk4hZVQNQkG9qlFvvlTXAp2yDoZ3L9IX4nQdKZgsLnY4Xf2jKro5iTbxwIw379EmzBkBZcBXY6i1Mln-maNTOUqz9Gd1MFyqjVgYiickLLZYxD3Dk/s1100/rocket%20launch.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="733" data-original-width="1100" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjE1E_rmTOrlCyHrApFIRDJmYJ_-D0Cok2FZudGboDUil0yFtsBmrFvxTLhgBcA_taLOeEYSZBMiJFk4hZVQNQkG9qlFvvlTXAp2yDoZ3L9IX4nQdKZgsLnY4Xf2jKro5iTbxwIw379EmzBkBZcBXY6i1Mln-maNTOUqz9Gd1MFyqjVgYiickLLZYxD3Dk/w381-h213/rocket%20launch.webp" width="381" /></a></div><br /><p>In keeping with the space theme from my last post, this one will also be space related. I have several bucket list items that I would like to get to in the next year or so. One of those items is to see a rocket launch in person. I imagine the sight of a launch is impressive when seen live. I have seen several web sites that list launch schedules around the world and around the U.S. </p><p>I would like to see a large rocket such as a Falcon 9 or Starship being launched in the U.S. I plan on flying to Florida or other launch location to see the launch and plan on having a flexible schedule to account for any delays. </p><p>Have any of you seen a rocket launch in person? If so, any advice on the best location to see a launch? Is a rocket launch as great as I envision it? I have seen that NASA has an area to view a launch where you have to purchase tickets. Is that the best way to see a launch? Any advice and tips would be appreciated as I plan to cross this one off the list! </p>Mitch Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003214337172183828noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211760826939639921.post-6144262533720348712023-09-10T06:44:00.000-07:002023-09-10T06:44:54.612-07:00How Small Am I?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFIYSwU6tU7Mk1QKh6X2VXfCGdhczzAZipGy1HmrY0sIRKQTnRBzZVrZCm8Kysy8V4qxdSOFeHjSdjuA879DQgtEYyijUYi51jP37rjBbCeUvEi9Uq2CVSKIIheD_qv9loHyeeTIifPrctkdQ15hSgQXvuQv3lu-yvloymvzJI_gEeetJ37phJ-ha4RAvK/s211/galaxies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="211" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFIYSwU6tU7Mk1QKh6X2VXfCGdhczzAZipGy1HmrY0sIRKQTnRBzZVrZCm8Kysy8V4qxdSOFeHjSdjuA879DQgtEYyijUYi51jP37rjBbCeUvEi9Uq2CVSKIIheD_qv9loHyeeTIifPrctkdQ15hSgQXvuQv3lu-yvloymvzJI_gEeetJ37phJ-ha4RAvK/w404-h213/galaxies.jpg" width="404" /></a></div><br /><p>I was floating in my pool a couple of weeks ago and noticed the moon way up in the bright blue sky. I began to ponder how far away the moon was and amazed at how humans made the trip up to the moon in 1969. I am amazed that we could do that with the technology that was available at that time. A little research shows that the moon is, on average, about 238,555 miles from Earth. That is quite the trip! My mind began to ask other questions and further internet research revealed that the Sun is about 93 millions miles from Earth. When I start looking above and thinking about the vastness of space, I realize just how small I am here on Earth in the big scheme of things. </p><p>Once you get past the distance from Earth to the Sun, distances begin to get measured in light years, a year of traveling at the speed of light (189,282 mile per second!). Our solar system including our sun and orbiting planets is estimated at .5 to 1 light year in diameter. Go further out and our Milky Way Galaxy is a much as 100 thousand light years across. It is estimated that there are over 100 billion galaxies in the universe. That is simply unbelievable and hard to wrap your mind around. I have seen some of the Hubble telescope images of distance galaxies and the images are simply amazing and show different shaped galaxies dotting space. Our own Milky Way Galaxy can only be depicted as an artist rendition because we haven't sent a camera out far enough to get an outside view. Our furthest spacecraft, Voyage 1, has been heading out to space for 46 years and is just now getting to the edge of our solar system. It would take another 40,000 years for it to exit our galaxy!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ07AuldbUpRSPormpNbsNqwaFk2TshBNwmyEfpHj3XzVwdgbvMd3XLV13D5oev506t26F8c2VS3ReFEXeF41fMnPE6AhrdF7pbsE06SvSAr2suw0xWu0_XGmlvchlYG-dM75QZCm4IY4mLNEy5wFF-IGg7op9K5v8QeQGy414e8_ATartGYGcsIwLGGcf/s750/Our-place-in-the-Milky-Way.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="750" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ07AuldbUpRSPormpNbsNqwaFk2TshBNwmyEfpHj3XzVwdgbvMd3XLV13D5oev506t26F8c2VS3ReFEXeF41fMnPE6AhrdF7pbsE06SvSAr2suw0xWu0_XGmlvchlYG-dM75QZCm4IY4mLNEy5wFF-IGg7op9K5v8QeQGy414e8_ATartGYGcsIwLGGcf/w361-h255/Our-place-in-the-Milky-Way.jpg" width="361" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I read a description of a scale comparison of our solar system to the Milky Way and it said if you placed a quarter on the ground in the U.S. the quarter would represent our solar system and the U.S. would represent the size of the Milky Way. That is incredible! And it said that earth would be a microscopic piece of dust on that quarter. Then, if you think smaller, how big would a person be on that speck of dust, on that quarter in the middle of the U.S. We are but a tiny thing in this universe. <p>Yet, the majority of us think we are pretty big stuff! I tend to view the universe as rotating around me and my family. I picture my family sitting at a dining room table or at a gathering at my home and can visualize a giant rotating hurricane circling around us while we sit in the eye of the storm. My world is my small little circle while the rest of the universe rotates around us. Boy, do I have it all wrong! When I think of how vast the universe is, and how short a human life really is, I think of the Bible verse "Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away." James 4:14. Our time on earth is so small compared to the time that has passed and the time to come. </p><p>I see nothing wrong with my visualization of my family being the center of my universe. But, I should expand it a little and include other friends and acquaintances that I regularly interact with. I should expand it a little more and include those I can impact in some way through my living or giving. </p><p>Maybe, after reading this post, the next time you look up at the night sky, you will think about the vastness that surrounds us and realize we may not be as big a deal as we think we are!</p><p>Have you ever done some deep thinking about the vastness of space? Have you been impressed with some of the Hubble photos of space? Does the world rotate around you and your space? Have you expanded your space to include connections in your city, state or across the globe?</p>Mitch Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003214337172183828noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211760826939639921.post-77476984800539954582023-09-03T13:05:00.001-07:002023-09-03T13:05:59.353-07:00Grandparent's Legacy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Fd0J4QMeMziesCSihAo6Y8VN0d1k0J9cSs5qTeeQ426WEKmqKmcc_dIvSxoGhXLVFXj1oF7CvDxQ6OfFhtTWK83st6n0GvwGE39TU8VeGg4f70bOWljdPCBzk77-eT-c0YIfjzljN6jA3belUH5JNuTgqhWiW3Ldydw0iq8hkorRwfMDh6u90Isy2uR2/s344/grandparents.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="344" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Fd0J4QMeMziesCSihAo6Y8VN0d1k0J9cSs5qTeeQ426WEKmqKmcc_dIvSxoGhXLVFXj1oF7CvDxQ6OfFhtTWK83st6n0GvwGE39TU8VeGg4f70bOWljdPCBzk77-eT-c0YIfjzljN6jA3belUH5JNuTgqhWiW3Ldydw0iq8hkorRwfMDh6u90Isy2uR2/w408-h202/grandparents.jpg" width="408" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>After taking off most of July and August from blogging, it is time to get back at it. I'll start back up with this post and will make it a fairly short one. As a fairly new grandparent (3 grand daughters age 4 and twin 20 month old), I want to leave some great memories with them and stories they can share with their kids and grandkids about Nana and Pawpaw. I cherish our current relationships with them that makes them light up and get excited when they see us. I cherish them running into our arms for hugs and to sitting in our laps. This makes me think about my own memories of my grandparents.</p><p>I never knew my mother's dad. He was killed by his own daughter, my aunt, before I knew him. I did know my mother's mother fairly well. For those who remember from a previous post, this is Little Grandma to me. I remember her as a petite and spunky grandma. She lived with one of my aunts and in an apartment the entire time I knew her. She had enough money to get by, but not a lot of money for extras. Yet, one of my memories of her is that she always sent a birthday card with a $5 bill inside. We lived about 3 hours from her and saw her a few times a year, but you could always count on getting a birthday card with that $5 bill in it. </p><p>On my dad's side, I remember my grandma, Big Grandma, for her cooking and quilting. She made some of the most beautiful quilts, a couple of them I have today. I wrote about her quilts in one post on this blog a while back. She was always happy and generous and always pleased to see us come through the door. She also lived about 3 hours away, but moved next door in my teen years when my granddad had a heart attack. My granddad was a small, thinner man who seemed to be more grumpy and stern than anything else. He had a small piece of land and grew many different types of things including blackberries and potatoes. Some of my memories include helping pick a few berries and digging a few potatoes. I also remember working for him for a few days, for a few dollars, when he moved next door and got to feeling better after his heart issues. He paid me to help take nails out of old boards and then he built a picket fence out of them. I helped paint that fence and felt a little like Tom Sawyer at the time while painting this white picket fence. It was a time that I felt about as close as I ever was to him. He was not the type of granddad that you ran to and gave a hug, at least in my dealing with him.</p><p>I don't have a ton of memories from my grandparents and they have long passed away. If they were around now, I think I would inquire more into their history and the history of their parents and grandparents. My wife does family history research and it seems you can find a lot of info on births, deaths, marriages and info from and old census documents. But, you would be hard pressed to find actual details and facts about those same people. </p><p>I hope my grand children remember me as a fun and happy Pawpaw and not as a grumpy and stern man as I remember my granddad. I hope they will have fond memories of visits to our house for celebrations and parties with the whole family. We can only strive to create such memories during our short time on earth. Our family has a cruise scheduled in October of this year and it will be our second "family" cruise. Hopefully, these family times will create some great memories for everyone and someday the grand kids will say "Remember how much fun we had on the family cruises?".</p><p>If you are a grandparent, do you have similar thoughts about leaving your family with great memories? What memories stick out in your mind of your own grandparents? Were your grandparents active in your life, or were they distant? Does your family have a regular get together such as Sunday dinners, yearly reunions or yearly trips that are a tradition in your family? If you are a grandparent, how are you different that your grandparents?</p><p>Families are so important to our well being, so make that extra effort to keep them connected as much as possible. </p><p><br /></p>Mitch Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003214337172183828noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211760826939639921.post-43173328396729231212023-07-07T07:06:00.000-07:002023-07-07T07:06:46.710-07:00Fly The Flag<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjndttDmu9uGJAiWNzw6MjFX30PrX0WKBIh5F_sxdZiXVWFp96ScHe903zWwgZ6T7y3PomBq3nIVPychlrEtgk5F6PG7M2UMQTMEXihsMtMme3MPEDI9QF30l0MmPTUdSh06zGCHLRuR8d3K1JjphWkfdXU2nlRIQ5cHiPaGZ8lsrABTJTbOcZwwru6PgJ1/s270/flying%20flag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="270" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjndttDmu9uGJAiWNzw6MjFX30PrX0WKBIh5F_sxdZiXVWFp96ScHe903zWwgZ6T7y3PomBq3nIVPychlrEtgk5F6PG7M2UMQTMEXihsMtMme3MPEDI9QF30l0MmPTUdSh06zGCHLRuR8d3K1JjphWkfdXU2nlRIQ5cHiPaGZ8lsrABTJTbOcZwwru6PgJ1/w359-h198/flying%20flag.jpg" width="359" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p>On Fourth of July, I put out my flag as I do on most holidays and holiday weekends. I noticed about 6 out of 10 houses on our street were flying the U.S. Flag. It was a nice sight to see all the flags fluttering in the breeze. We live in a great country despite it's many flaws and issues. I would think that flying our great flag would be one of those things that not too many people would disagree with. It is something that all Americans can be proud of and display it with no fights over politics, religion or the latest social media posts. </p><p>I recently read a book about Daniel Boone and early American history. I was astounded at the violence that was present in that day. You had to constantly be on alert of being attacked by the local tribes on whose land you were treading on. The early settlers were as brutal as their enemies and I was amazed to read some of the brutal fighting and tactics used by all of those involved. We now live in a much more civilized and safe country. This country has suffered through many major issues and wars over the years to be were it is today. I am optimistic that this country will continue to be a great place to live for the remainder of my years and for future generations. </p><p>Fly the flag with pride!</p>Mitch Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003214337172183828noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211760826939639921.post-78284611483369205082023-07-02T06:44:00.000-07:002023-07-02T06:44:01.692-07:00Nicknames<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgypn4ViEbXelYhAMfxlRLHEQOX2Cuj_AgRMp8UW5H-LJb0t-VzYolCJJJBlzy_O8YI6bT7YNVRbwIzDuLq9_CGoF9B47Hk990fyuFs5EdM8qvlqawJ06adFFpcul9vFjoGqOgEgLdVTw1LHIBdNOE970lIVtE5kGoJ7_aE9FsNNXGv-k0d9wrZwNLlU9ad/s270/nicknames.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="270" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgypn4ViEbXelYhAMfxlRLHEQOX2Cuj_AgRMp8UW5H-LJb0t-VzYolCJJJBlzy_O8YI6bT7YNVRbwIzDuLq9_CGoF9B47Hk990fyuFs5EdM8qvlqawJ06adFFpcul9vFjoGqOgEgLdVTw1LHIBdNOE970lIVtE5kGoJ7_aE9FsNNXGv-k0d9wrZwNLlU9ad/w392-h198/nicknames.jpg" width="392" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>I have always been one of those people who have a horrible time remembering names of people I meet. I really have to concentrate on retaining a name to make it stick. Often, as soon as a new person shakes my hand and tells me their name, it goes right in my brain and right out. Unless I focus on remembering the name, it takes me several times of hearing the name to remember it correctly.</p><p>Shortly after retirement we moved to a new location about 30 minutes away to be closer to our grown kids and closer to the things we enjoyed doing on a daily basis. With this move came the opportunity to meet new neighbors. Knowing that my name recollection was not very good, I employed a strategy that I had read about one time. The strategy is to concentrate on the name the person gives and associate it somehow with that person. I began to use nicknames that would help me remember. Now, unlike nicknames you give to close friends or family, I don't call these people by their nicknames that I have assigned them in my head. I just use that nickname to remember their name. I have found that this trick is extremely useful and try to use it when I meet a new person.</p><p>In sticking with this strategy, this is how it went with a few of my new neighbors. When I met the neighbor across the street and he introduced himself as Steve, I noticed he had an Oklahoma State University ballcap on. OSU is in Stillwater, OK. So Steve became Stillwater Steve. I have never forgotten his name. I met the neighbor behind me. His name is Doyle. The day I met him, his tiny little dog was at the fence barking. I nicknamed Doyle as Big Dog Doyle. I have never forgotten his name. Recently, I met the neighbor on the other end of the block, Gus. The day I met Gus he had on a big white bucket hat. You know, like the one Gilligan wore in Gilligan's Island. Care to guess what his nickname is?.........Gilligan Gus! I have never forgotten his name. A neighbor one street over became Larry Law because Larry had told me he was a retired Deputy. I have never forgotten his name.</p><p>As I get older, I think this strategy will serve me well as my name recollection probably will get worse. We are visiting new churches in our area and I will need to employ this strategy every time my wife and I meet someone new. When using this strategy, just make sure you don't blurt out any unflattering nickname to your new friends. The nicknames above wouldn't be offensive to anyone but you may have a nickname in your head that may not be that nice to say out loud. You wouldn't want to voice a name like Dirty Doug to a new friend because he was dirty from working in the yard when you first met him. It might help you remember his name but he probably wouldn't like it if you called him Dirty Doug the next time you saw him at the grocery store. </p><p>There are nicknames we give our spouses, family and friends. These are usually terms of endearment and are meant to be used all the time. My grand daughters have several to include Pumpkin, Cutie Pututie and Princess. I've been called a few names in the past such as StudMuffin, Champ, Mr. Universe, etc. I'll be honest and tell you those nicknames were ones I gave myself. I probably don't want to know what nicknames others have for me in their heads!</p><p>Have you employed the above strategy when meeting new people? Do you have trouble remembering names like I do, or do you lock down the new names with no problems? Do you have any interesting nicknames for your neighbors or people you see out and about? Do you have any other strategies for remembering names of people you meet?</p><p>Mighty Mitch signing out.</p><p><br /></p>Mitch Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003214337172183828noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211760826939639921.post-7746179486682918932023-06-22T09:42:00.001-07:002023-06-22T09:42:55.389-07:00Summer Projects<p>Summer is a great time to tackle a few projects. Over the years, I have planted trees, completed landscape projects, painted the exterior of a house, roofed a house and many, many more projects. Most of those Summer projects were done after work hours and on weekends. In retirement, projects can be done any time and any day and I love it. Retirement also affords the opportunity to work on projects at a slower pace because I no longer have to complete the project in a certain time period so I can get back to my job.</p><p>This Summer I have completed a few small projects and just last night completed painting my garage doors. The paint on the doors had faded with the constant exposure to the sun. I caulked across the top where it needed new caulking. I washed the doors down with a good soapy mixture to prepare it for a new coat of paint. I have a three car garage with a single door and a double door. On Monday I painted the single door and last night finished the double door. I enjoy painting once I get started. Painting gives a lot of satisfaction to see the difference a coat of fresh paint can make.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj19OWvNe-3bsVlqaKWdGewptin4ztcWmcuZUrOt1YgDsykP-GXVk53Te42EN_fBzMJoKFrLJ06WvD_KbH98IH16YxHrWax8cRl67WtakfxdYT9DNdBXfTkXcFohmU9PEsXwOJSCSC2QaKd-vCeEGLox0qJAfik9iuJWcmq2L4F2GFcOpQno1zx9gKg-bB1/s320/IMG_9065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj19OWvNe-3bsVlqaKWdGewptin4ztcWmcuZUrOt1YgDsykP-GXVk53Te42EN_fBzMJoKFrLJ06WvD_KbH98IH16YxHrWax8cRl67WtakfxdYT9DNdBXfTkXcFohmU9PEsXwOJSCSC2QaKd-vCeEGLox0qJAfik9iuJWcmq2L4F2GFcOpQno1zx9gKg-bB1/w196-h262/IMG_9065.jpg" width="196" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoysyzv4YI9uc64spmp6umDVTfFrKDKAq4yJlDAnir-9cDerhR7zCKQJM5wlK49HATCF4Lr9aHoiplRv-V3rMgrgR0QQckFpnOOoB9dTLmX2mT0_GlOMi-izBP0Z3z3f15wetje_RfaPMUV9EIw7M6A6eiDDbn7j2_1i7wwZi1rpL2C_diuyJdhc7DAyWf/s320/IMG_9064.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoysyzv4YI9uc64spmp6umDVTfFrKDKAq4yJlDAnir-9cDerhR7zCKQJM5wlK49HATCF4Lr9aHoiplRv-V3rMgrgR0QQckFpnOOoB9dTLmX2mT0_GlOMi-izBP0Z3z3f15wetje_RfaPMUV9EIw7M6A6eiDDbn7j2_1i7wwZi1rpL2C_diuyJdhc7DAyWf/w276-h199/IMG_9064.jpg" width="276" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>My dad like painting. Sometimes he loved painting. If he found a half of a can of purple spray paint at a garage sale or in the back of his shop, you can be sure that something was getting painted purple by the end of the day. </p><p>My next big project also involves painting. Our pool filters are located in a large fiberglass tank. The sun has done it's job on the tank and the tank is chalky looking and I get tiny fiberglass fibers on me when I open it up to clean the filters. My hands and arms get very itchy if I touch the tank at all. My plan is to lightly sand the tank and paint it with marine paint that is designed for fiberglass boats. That should solve my itchy problem and make the tank look much better. It will be an all day project by the time I unhook the tank from the pool pump system and then prep and paint it.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiO5Ke9kg3GEjJOCbX5d2yOAYgXi_XEM9Av0i336m9SQZzBcWpR96VyDPnDzCxYSJn1jCbX0VzOXK96wa0pF5MtLYPk_LqfOIa_3esQWG1xOw60EeW0yTKVQ7-1idpKAU-2bXvmK1KZPW9Lzxm6hpRfbYMOy6TOYHU5qVFz4rAyP0TSdD3OwYU3qHvtW-g/s320/IMG_9066.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiO5Ke9kg3GEjJOCbX5d2yOAYgXi_XEM9Av0i336m9SQZzBcWpR96VyDPnDzCxYSJn1jCbX0VzOXK96wa0pF5MtLYPk_LqfOIa_3esQWG1xOw60EeW0yTKVQ7-1idpKAU-2bXvmK1KZPW9Lzxm6hpRfbYMOy6TOYHU5qVFz4rAyP0TSdD3OwYU3qHvtW-g/s1600/IMG_9066.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>Do you use your Summer for projects? What have you tackled so far this year? What are you future projects that you have planned? </p><p>Get out there and enjoy the Summer in whatever you do and stay cool out there!</p>Mitch Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003214337172183828noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211760826939639921.post-42767905150709471822023-06-17T05:11:00.000-07:002023-06-17T05:11:05.064-07:00Homemade Ice Cream!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLTcyz7WJ8xjQSMiUtUfDQwJsNEOh2GRr6gGjgsytrOg9v8oFoYFym4BTXOVvF4FPkALu6caynxZTo4Wk174q9l0ALHR3Wf9tqLxN0OGiUhXReD7hZS-3vY1Q4Qosin-yCPoN-SvVOiwXvEMkw_ioybJXck4XStwzsW4fS_DNXyJ1TNhkNrMaqXBjBbA/s189/ice%20cream%20maker.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="189" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLTcyz7WJ8xjQSMiUtUfDQwJsNEOh2GRr6gGjgsytrOg9v8oFoYFym4BTXOVvF4FPkALu6caynxZTo4Wk174q9l0ALHR3Wf9tqLxN0OGiUhXReD7hZS-3vY1Q4Qosin-yCPoN-SvVOiwXvEMkw_ioybJXck4XStwzsW4fS_DNXyJ1TNhkNrMaqXBjBbA/w264-h223/ice%20cream%20maker.jpg" width="264" /></a></div><br /><p>Last week, my wife and I had ice cream at a new shop around the corner from the house. It is a new location of an ice cream shop we visited recently on the north side of Oklahoma City. The place is called Boom Town Ice Cream and is a small batch creamery with a lot of excellent ice cream flavors. My favorite is their chocolate chip cookie dough on a waffle cone. It is a special treat to grab an afternoon ice cream snack at this place. There are several other small ice cream shops in the city that are awesome also. We have one local shop, Capital Ice Cream, where you choose a variety of cereals and ingredients to be folded into ice cream to create your own special flavor. Boom Town has a sign that says "Ice Cream Is Always The Answer.". I agree! Retirement is the perfect time to try new ice cream shops. You can have a tasty ice cream cone any afternoon with no need for it to be a special occasion. We will get ice cream on a Tuesday afternoon just because it it Tuesday afternoon!</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS7_i6i2pb-Fhi-nZd9r_GODJ-un4eiDvnyYqtZ95b7OFyfkrsfuaeL8QtuKqx_988uj53m4RkxyoRgcHvhxB5fIr5NmnXu2xuy902NxPTsZRCztaCI8vQFULp6qtKPPI_lJGeGeqwev8HE0eRqi8DHIxsoUtW08uq_I4Dv-8aInOoAlBkLZqCmRx4Xw/s874/Ice%20cream.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="874" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS7_i6i2pb-Fhi-nZd9r_GODJ-un4eiDvnyYqtZ95b7OFyfkrsfuaeL8QtuKqx_988uj53m4RkxyoRgcHvhxB5fIr5NmnXu2xuy902NxPTsZRCztaCI8vQFULp6qtKPPI_lJGeGeqwev8HE0eRqi8DHIxsoUtW08uq_I4Dv-8aInOoAlBkLZqCmRx4Xw/s320/Ice%20cream.jpeg" width="281" /></a></div><br /><p>On a recent thrift store outing with my wife, I noticed a couple of homemade ice cream makers for sale. This made me think that we are overdue to make some homemade ice cream. We have an ice cream maker and don't use it that often. There is no better ice cream than homemade ice cream! We normally make a plain vanilla but have added some chocolate chips in the past and may have tried another flavor or two. I remember, as a kid, making homemade ice cream in a wooden ice cream maker at my grandparents house. It was an old wood maker with a hand crank. My dad would crank it while my two sisters and I would take turn sitting on a towel on top of the maker to hold it down while dad cranked away. Once our bottoms began to get too cold we would hop off and the next one would hop on. It seemed to take forever for that ice cream to get frozen enough to eat! I imagine it was even longer for my poor dad as he cranked it by hand. But, oh how good that ice cream tasted after waiting patiently for it to be ready.</p><p>Mom and Dad eventually got an electric ice cream maker that we used many times. As I got a little older I was able to put the ice and salt in the sides of the maker to help out. I would sneak a piece or two of the rock salt and let them slowly melt in my mouth as I monitored the ice and salt in the machine. I will admit, even today, I will do the same thing with rock salt when I am in charge of making ice cream. Maybe I am salting my taste buds for that sweet taste of the ice cream. </p><p>It does take some effort to make ice cream at home. You have to gather the ingredients and put the mixture together. You have to make sure you have enough ice and ice cream salt to freeze it in the ice cream maker. And, you have to have patience to listen to the grinding of the machine for some time to freeze the mixture into that awesome ice cream. We use an electric maker and it seems like it takes longer than it actually does. We wait patiently for the motor to finally quit and indicate that the ice cream is ready. The motor seems to slow to almost a stop and then gets a second wind and grinds away for another 10 minutes before we think it's going to stop again. sometimes the cycle continues several times. With each slowing, our anticipation grows for dipping into our finished ice cream!</p><p>Do you have any great ice cream shops in your area? Do you visit them regularly? What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? Do you have any great memories of making homemade ice cream in the past? Any rock salt eaters out there? When was the last time you made some ice cream at home?</p><p>It's Summer and prime ice cream time! Get out there and enjoy a great ice cream cone somewhere or make your own special treat at home. Happy Summer!</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_BXUTUBj1rG4kC7UvyKp1s56Y2J3V1eX_3HiG3mAlzNk2C2RNNSF7kXmLR7pEZcUEiRCURZnlXmEih4FyJTBkJzUvOreSEtHebKo_4PewBPMPU1w6VdNQOF_GEkG2N_xftFNfPEcBUybKZeirL1eGxkYV4hV52QhPRpRV89SboJ-KmqcWfwTPp8JUQ/s180/rock%20salt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="180" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_BXUTUBj1rG4kC7UvyKp1s56Y2J3V1eX_3HiG3mAlzNk2C2RNNSF7kXmLR7pEZcUEiRCURZnlXmEih4FyJTBkJzUvOreSEtHebKo_4PewBPMPU1w6VdNQOF_GEkG2N_xftFNfPEcBUybKZeirL1eGxkYV4hV52QhPRpRV89SboJ-KmqcWfwTPp8JUQ/s1600/rock%20salt.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Mitch Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003214337172183828noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211760826939639921.post-27058845282241856822023-06-12T06:44:00.001-07:002023-06-12T06:44:36.495-07:00An Older Couple<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYcUb3xKWWTC8qWWdb-45adK_xF947cMpuz5kI7Su6vjk-Otq09qLRqZa73HyXYMeiXbn81tIL-gbU9Rh-_7ChyvDPyKWBLQ4VaFtAhfXkJTb5mvFoHBiEq7Kanmj-JLBo22Mj7Aihw9Ug_vSzxnncwK3DP1MEXZUjYHw_gizPF6qsZkCD2wZpFhmUAw/s240/older%20couple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="240" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYcUb3xKWWTC8qWWdb-45adK_xF947cMpuz5kI7Su6vjk-Otq09qLRqZa73HyXYMeiXbn81tIL-gbU9Rh-_7ChyvDPyKWBLQ4VaFtAhfXkJTb5mvFoHBiEq7Kanmj-JLBo22Mj7Aihw9Ug_vSzxnncwK3DP1MEXZUjYHw_gizPF6qsZkCD2wZpFhmUAw/w341-h219/older%20couple.jpg" width="341" /></a></div><br /><p>A month or two ago my wife and I were staying at a hotel while visiting my wife's mother for a few days. We checked in at the front desk and were given our two keys and our room number. We hauled our luggage up to the room and quickly became frustrated when the keys did not work. I tried both keys and kept getting a red light on the electronic lock. My wife went downstairs to get new keys and returned with the desk clerk who was going go make sure our keys worked this time. The clerk scanned the keys and opened the door. We all were at the door looking at a young man sitting at a desk in the room looking at us. The clerk asked who he was and why he was in the room. Apparently, the previous desk clerk had checked him into the wrong room while showing him actually checked into another room. We followed the clerk back to the front desk to get reassigned a new room. We had a good laugh and I joked with her about making sure our new room was not occupied already. All went well and we finally got settled into a non-occupied room.</p><p>I am 57 and my wife is 54. The next morning, I was enjoying some coffee down in the lobby in the breakfast area. Other early risers included numerous workers who were in town for some type of construction project. While sitting there, I hear a young man telling his co-workers about sitting in his room when his door was opened by the desk clerk and an "older couple". He related that he was glad he hadn't just stepped out of the shower and the table of workers had a good chuckle. </p><p>Older couple!! What the heck, I thought, as I digested the fact that my wife and I were referred to as an older couple. I'm not old, at least in my mind. An older couple should be in their 70's or 80's! I guess to a young man in his late 20's or early 30's, a couple in their 50's is an older couple. I laughed inside at this designation as an "older couple" and my wife got a good laugh at it when I told her the story.</p><p>I guess age is set by the observer. Much like the fact that there is always someone else who makes more money or has a bigger house, I think there is always someone else who is "older". I guess that will hold true until I hit my 90's or the big 100. </p><p>What is your view of the age of an "older couple"? My wife's parents have always talked about the "old people" at church. They have referred to "old people" even when they were late 70's themselves. We always found it funny, when we left their house, after they talked about the "old people" at church. </p><p>Do you have a similar "older couple" story to share? Surely we are not the only couple who has overheard someone refer to us as an "older couple". It was a funny experience to go through and gave me a good topic for a post, but if I ever see that punk kid again, I'm going to challenge him to a foot race!!</p><p><br /></p><p> </p>Mitch Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003214337172183828noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211760826939639921.post-20931575087865921482023-06-04T08:18:00.000-07:002023-06-04T08:18:57.479-07:00Finding Sea Shells<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBWHO_hZNf7zJKOoTLf4Ow7tK6eTFEtqNgSOPmK0ERsKoOmusx016H2g1bUZXcuf_F4l7ThEMSb6IDoyhQgl8Sf8SiymkJRheNUHblZcczksPs40UMcDcURud61BQ3upcsV3GwFl_XTTPXc_wjNS1d2SwlRCzcgLKhk-0IweipcV6AznX6s1fefvaKKg/s260/sea%20shells.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="260" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBWHO_hZNf7zJKOoTLf4Ow7tK6eTFEtqNgSOPmK0ERsKoOmusx016H2g1bUZXcuf_F4l7ThEMSb6IDoyhQgl8Sf8SiymkJRheNUHblZcczksPs40UMcDcURud61BQ3upcsV3GwFl_XTTPXc_wjNS1d2SwlRCzcgLKhk-0IweipcV6AznX6s1fefvaKKg/w467-h197/sea%20shells.jpg" width="467" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>My four year old granddaughter continues to amaze me and teach me lessons about life. She attends a private pre-school at a very small school. The school has a large yard that has a garden, a play area and a sand pit for the kids to play in. Several months ago, she came home carrying a broken sea shell that she had found while playing in the sand pit. She is so proud of that shell and it is one of her most prized possessions. She carries it around often and will show it off to any and everyone. She will gladly tell you that she found it at school in the sand pit and that no one else has found a shell. The simple joy she gets from this sea shell just warms my heart.</p><p>We have a small plastic turtle sandbox in our backyard full of sand and a few small shovels and cups to play with. I got the bright idea of purchasing a bag of sea shells at the Dollar Tree to seed the sandbox with a few shells. The first time she sifted through the sand and found a shell was priceless. The look of excitement on her face was the cutest thing ever. She ran into the house to show her Nana, Mom and Dad her recent find. After that, she couldn't wait to dig more shells! At one point she had found the five shells I had planted and continued to dig furiously. I told her that she may have found them all. She replied, "I know there are more!" as she kept digging. I went to the garage and grabbed a few more shells to put into the sand without her knowing. When she dug the next one up, she excitedly exclaimed "I told you Pawpaw! I knew there were more shells!". She was as excited for the 6th shell as she was for the 1st shell. </p><p>I continue to hide 5-6 shells every time she leaves so there will be more fun ahead for her. This tiny little sandbox just keeps on giving up the shells! I love the her enthusiasm and excitement as she digs through the sand for that next treasured sea shell. She has the same wide eyed excitement with finding worms, doodle bugs and many other things. </p><p>I recently read a great book In Awe by John O'Leary. In this book, O'Leary talks about how adults lose that childlike wonder of the things around us and normal everyday experiences. He talks about our need to look at the world through childlike eyes and not take things for granted. The book also discusses how nothing is impossible. He advises that most of modern day amenities were once impossible. Think about that for a moment, Traveling the world in cars and airplanes would have once seemed impossible. Travel to the moon or Mars, once impossible. Texting and emailing and sending photos and movies over the internet, once impossible. The book was very good and reminds us to look at the world around us with new eyes.</p><p>As I get older, I have learned a lot about enjoying the minor things in life and to be in awe of more things around me. I encourage you to read the book and see if you can take something from it. Hopefully, we can all get excited about finding a sea shell in the sand and enjoy the moment to the maximum!</p><p><br /></p>Mitch Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003214337172183828noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211760826939639921.post-82982691870984414002023-05-19T07:09:00.002-07:002023-05-19T07:09:59.917-07:00May Is For Cruising!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPHcE_vhji8VsevhRW1LSWlEqnWylpgnz_lQF-diRhcDth5PRWfwSmaLGsQ9CzQkq6EpIisxLJCkmE_h_syjI98TUm_FLAOOXlxTx54wuyDOmUqRI9yjArD58nHI_UfzNIhyJqM22HGcec4ZSm2snbPkYgQgjfcdlhZOS-FDFI7L1PAW5X-qET7D-rFA/s270/cruise%20ship.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="270" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPHcE_vhji8VsevhRW1LSWlEqnWylpgnz_lQF-diRhcDth5PRWfwSmaLGsQ9CzQkq6EpIisxLJCkmE_h_syjI98TUm_FLAOOXlxTx54wuyDOmUqRI9yjArD58nHI_UfzNIhyJqM22HGcec4ZSm2snbPkYgQgjfcdlhZOS-FDFI7L1PAW5X-qET7D-rFA/s1600/cruise%20ship.jpg" width="270" /></a></div> <p></p><p>May is for cruising! At least it is for us this year. My blogging will be pretty much on hold this month.</p><p>After a couple of tough years, my wife and I are trying to hit the travel a little harder this year. We took a Royal Caribbean cruise the first week of May to Roatan, Costa Maya and Cozumel. Next week we head out on a Carnival Cruise to Alaska to Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway and Victoria, BC. I hope to be back to regular blogging after that. See you soon!</p>Mitch Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003214337172183828noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211760826939639921.post-55889934395526111462023-04-26T18:07:00.000-07:002023-04-26T18:07:48.906-07:00Today's Potential<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtlhdJXHcacNLVE7DwXj3j_XU1dryMepAF78jxKC0nuEjakysLym7zEKpn6b2_1bt19iBMDYXeY-pw4bUD7GsVPaslDQ-zcQ6DVWb2axQh8q_QzD-qhcF9Nr1YJvXmgAkYOBzgzQNlDtzSllWhLFwUzLzCfI2MIpnr0CjdVjixgm91GtGVF1MCGa-w-g/s474/potential.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="291" data-original-width="474" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtlhdJXHcacNLVE7DwXj3j_XU1dryMepAF78jxKC0nuEjakysLym7zEKpn6b2_1bt19iBMDYXeY-pw4bUD7GsVPaslDQ-zcQ6DVWb2axQh8q_QzD-qhcF9Nr1YJvXmgAkYOBzgzQNlDtzSllWhLFwUzLzCfI2MIpnr0CjdVjixgm91GtGVF1MCGa-w-g/w436-h243/potential.jpg" width="436" /></a></div><br /><p>Often, while my coffee is brewing, I thank God for the great things in my life and then pray about future things involving family, health and well being. After that, I begin to think "what am I going to do today?" As a retiree, my days are often a blank slate and ready to be filled. The potential for a great day is there every morning! Do I want a day of rest and relaxation? Such a day may include a little reading, blogging and other menial tasks. Do I want a day of household chores? This would include laundry, dishes, grocery shopping, etc. Or, do I want a day of fun? This would include a day that would involve a new destination, a new dining experience or new activity. </p><p>I wake well before my wife. So, I have time to think about the potential of the day. I must think about time limits and costs while thinking about the opportunities that the day may have. A recent "day of fun" for me, was an hour trip to a new BBQ place and then some metal detecting. The BBQ place was outstanding and I found a few treasures while detecting. The day was awesome! The day was a great "retirement day". One of those days that I envisioned when I thought about retiring while sitting at my desk. </p><p>In retirement, as the saying goes above, "everyday had the potential to be the greatest day in your life". How true is that! If we approach everyday with a wide eyed expectation of the potential that this day has, what a great day we can have. If you get up in the morning and expect a great day to be relaxing, reading and listening the the birds outside, so be it. You do just that and enjoy your great day. </p><p>If you wake up and decide to be a "man of action" and mow the yard, paint the fence and clean the cars, so be it and have one awesome day!. If you wake up and decide to pick up litter along the road or feed the homeless at the local shelter, so be it. And, have a great day serving others! Each day has so much potential and we should all look to maximize that to our personal need. </p><p>I am much more of a planner than my wife. I do like to have things organized and thought out for most trips and vacations. But, I am also getting better at just taking off and doing something without a lot of thought. Do you spend a lot of time planning your retirement days? Or do you get up, like I do most mornings, and begin to look at the potential of today? I keep a list of possibilities in my notes on my phone. I often watch a show called "Discover Oklahoma" and note any places to see or new dining places. Then, when I am out and about or planning a day trip in the state, I can access my list as a reminder of new things to do.</p><p>I've posted before about "bucket lists", but do you have a list of smaller items that you want to do or see that really don't qualify as a "bucket list" item. I think of "bucket list" items as things like a trip to Italy or a trip to the Grand Canyon and other grand ideas. While my smaller list includes a few museums, ice cream shops and BBQ joints. </p><p>However you keep lists, or don't keep lists, just make sure you get out there and enjoy that retirement day!</p>Mitch Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003214337172183828noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211760826939639921.post-82090486829625330212023-04-22T16:59:00.000-07:002023-04-22T16:59:20.822-07:00Mayonnaise Cake<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA4AYo96wBZpFAbBoEZcgWzfy6W2zcSuM9pGKHRlPe0ZwwKhgwWF7kY4v2QDhHu7bq1FnvQ6Yo__ZH3pQZhLPT-jvkNhOW34JZ_pWZkouSFJmohfPPdWb7jnVQf2z9e6MDlzsW2sZLHBMNh6O5fXrxp5X8sF1DV7HZDE66_iIoBqf5DnkTUR49UGO04w/s632/mayo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="632" data-original-width="474" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA4AYo96wBZpFAbBoEZcgWzfy6W2zcSuM9pGKHRlPe0ZwwKhgwWF7kY4v2QDhHu7bq1FnvQ6Yo__ZH3pQZhLPT-jvkNhOW34JZ_pWZkouSFJmohfPPdWb7jnVQf2z9e6MDlzsW2sZLHBMNh6O5fXrxp5X8sF1DV7HZDE66_iIoBqf5DnkTUR49UGO04w/w313-h257/mayo.jpg" width="313" /></a></div><br /><p>One of my favorite recipes of my mother's is mayonnaise cake. As a youngster, I always cringed a little bit when she would mention making mayonnaise cake because it sounded a little gross. But, when all said and done, it was a pretty delicious cake. Her mayonnaise cake recipe is for a chocolate cake with warm chocolate icing poured on top. It is still one of my most favorite cakes. The coca cola cake at Cracker Barrel is similar to mom's mayonnaise cake. </p><p>When my kids were growing up, mom had to tell them she made mayonnaise cake but without the mayonnaise so they would eat it. They always loved the cake with the belief that the nasty mayonnaise had been left out! To a kid, mayonnaise in a cake just doesn't seem right. It would be the same as saying you made a broccoli cake.</p><p>Another favorite cake of mine is carrot cake. Who knew that carrots in a cake would be delicious? I'm sure there are a lot of other delicious recipes that don't sound so great when you mention the ingredients. Do you have a favorite recipe like "mayonnaise cake" that sounds a little weird, but it delicious? Do you have a great recipe for broccoli cake or something similar? </p><p>Have you dabbled in new recipes in retirement? Are you cooking more home cooked meals and desserts in retirement? If not, it is time for you to get busy and come up with the next great mayonnaise cake!</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqwSVso-7FBqwVgNv6JlS22iGIAfG3yfQtcDySujjeTCWYwWxp3E5buPc9JE_hV_QVXNDdKz3vRqXb6QCCyC-wLs6xokQVyxgpO2_BIm_IXzAcXBZH7wgqchGcu4HOE32sBgNcK00QBzwknpLWZBWrx1hlYAgI5OFGydFo4Iej_pu7VWrOjWPFNhPF9A/s474/carrots.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="474" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqwSVso-7FBqwVgNv6JlS22iGIAfG3yfQtcDySujjeTCWYwWxp3E5buPc9JE_hV_QVXNDdKz3vRqXb6QCCyC-wLs6xokQVyxgpO2_BIm_IXzAcXBZH7wgqchGcu4HOE32sBgNcK00QBzwknpLWZBWrx1hlYAgI5OFGydFo4Iej_pu7VWrOjWPFNhPF9A/w418-h213/carrots.jpg" width="418" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Mitch Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003214337172183828noreply@blogger.com18