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It’s been too long. I had no idea just how long it’s been. I’m still alive, obviously. I’ve got a lot going on so I’ll post more about some of the things later this evening.
Ta ta for now
Hello!
02 Thursday Jun 2022
Posted in Cancer
Tag Archives: Retirement
The “List”
26 Tuesday Feb 2019
Posted in Cancer, Photography, Retirement
It’s spring down here in the deep south. At least for now. Cooler temps along with some rain expected next week. For those that are keeping up, my to-do list is slowly getting shorter; and I do mean slowly. Being that the weather has turned a little warmer, I’ve taken advantage of it and I’ve been doing a lot of work outside. My back yard is slowly showing itself again. I’ve spent several days cutting Privet and dragging the limbs to the street. My back yard has a slight incline so after cutting the limbs I have to climb this incline so I’m easily winded and I have to take a lot of breaks. A person in good health would have already finished with this project and moved on but it’s taking me a little while longer. I’m still not finished with it. The limb collector only picks up once every other week so I don’t want a pile of limbs just sitting there waiting to be picked up. So, I’ve been working on doing some painting in the meantime.
Like I’ve stated on an earlier post, I’ve started using a task list to help me stay on target. I must say that it’s making a huge difference. The weather has a lot to do with what task I work on but as long as the weather stays nice for a few days I’m able to get quite a bit accomplished. If the weather is cold or rainy I’ll stay inside and concentrate on doing some housework or do some woodworking projects.
Cooking has always been something I like doing so since I’ve retired I make it a point to help the wife with the cooking. When both of us worked, it was difficult for my wife to create dishes that were both healthy and quick. She is tired most days when she gets home so her choices for dinner was usually something unhealthy. Now that I’ve retired, I do most of the cooking during the week. I do a lot of grilling, very little frying and some slow cooking in my crockpot. Most of the items I cook is new to both me and my wife so it’s made dinner very interesting.
Life goes on!!
Making Sawdust
23 Wednesday Jan 2019
Posted in Photography, Retirement, Woodworking
Tags
Frame, Picture, Power Tools, Projects, Retirement, Sawdust, Shop, Tools, Woodworking
I must admit since I got married, I have been collecting woodworking tools but I have never been able to find the time to work with them. I guess my first tool was the table saw, then a few small power tools like a drill, a Skill saw, a Miter saw and the list goes on. Right now I have so many cordless drills that I can’t keep the batteries up on all of them and they all die. In fact, I just ordered two new batteries for one of my more heavy duty drills.
Most of my drills came from when I worked. At first, the company would supply us with cordless drills but when I went to use one, either I couldn’t find one or when I did the batteries were dead because the last person who used it didn’t put it back on charge. I soon started buying all my tools that way I could lock them all up and they would be there when I needed them.
Anyway, now that I’m retired, I’ve started working on some small projects that were either needed around the house or projects that I’ve seen that I think I could sell at some craft shows. My first project was, of course, the picture frame. When I first started making the frames, I just couldn’t get it right. I was using my miter saw that I bought some twenty years ago, cutting on a forty five but when putting everything together, the last corner was nearly a quarter of an inch off. I couldn’t figure it out. I watched Youtube videos on the subject, I was doing everything right but no matter what I did, I was still a quarter inch off on the last corner.
A few years after moving in this house, my dad and I extended our deck on the back of the house. My dad is a real craftsman. I’m just an imitation compared to him. My dad, in order to help with some of the cuts, bought a miter saw large enough to cut some of the six by six posts that were required to build my deck. After having all the trouble with my cuts for my frame, I decided to do a couple of cuts using his saw, being that he never took his saw home. I want you to know that that was the prettiest frame that I had made. The forty-five’s fit nearly perfect. I went back to my saw and realized that when cutting a forty-five, the blade was square at the fence but as it moves toward the outer edge, it was out at least one-sixteenth of an inch. When you add all that up, that’s at least one-quarter of an inch out. No way to fix the saw. There’s no adjustment for that. I know. I took the saw to have someone look at it and there’s no way to fix this. Luckily, I have my dads saw and the last time I talked to him, he’s given me this saw.
Now that I’ve got a saw that cuts a good forty-five, I started making frames, and a bunch of them too. All shapes and sizes. I use plexie glass and real glass. I’ve even got my mat cutting equipment and different colored mats. I have a driver tool to hold the picture in the back of the frame. I have everything needed to make and sell picture frames. And I got bored.
Next up, a paper towel holder. Or a poor excuse for one. The plans call for a jigsaw, which I have, to cut the pattern out. But, for some reason, I keep burning the curves. I have a jigsaw that has a scroll feature on it but I haven’t been able to master it yet. I also have a router and I used a trim bit but it ended up tragically. It was my first try and I’ll try again I get the nerve. It was pretty scary, to say the least. It was so bad that my son, who was helping me at the time, said “Dad? “I don’t think that was supposed to happen” No crap!!.
Next up, clothes hamper. Made from recycled pallet wood.
Don’t look too much at the lid. I am still working on it. In fact, I’m still working on all of it. I’ve spent the last few days sanding on it. If I had known that my wife wanted it sanded and stained, I would have done the sanding on my bench sander before nailing it all together. Oh well, It’s giving me something to do. If everything works according to plan, I should finish sanding tomorrow and start the staining process.
I look at sites such as Esty.com and see some of the prices these people want for items such as this and I think they must be crazy for asking for such an outrageous price. But, going through everything that I’ve done just to get this far, I’ll have to say that they should be asking for more. According to Esty, the picture frame should go for $35, the paper towel holder $75 and the clothes hamper $175. Do I think I’ll get that much? Probably not.
I’ll up date on both, the clothes hamper and the paper towel holder when they’re finished. I think my next project will be a much needed foil rack for one of the cabinets.
Life Goes On.
Long Overdue
10 Thursday Jan 2019
Posted in Cancer, Family, Leukemia, Pets, Photography, Retirement
Tags
Bird, Cancer, Chores, Dentist, Feeder, health, Photography, Retirement, Ulcers
It’s been since September since I’ve posted anything so I figured I’d do a little update on what’s been going on. First of all, I went to the dentist today and had some work done and I had to take a prescription pain pill to take care of the pain that I was in. So, if this doesn’t make sense, that’s why. As stated in my last post, I’ve retired. I can’t begin to tell you how happy I am about that. I get updates from one of my co-workers every once in a while and let me tell you when I get off the phone with him, it makes me so happy to think that I no longer work at that place. The management at that place has taken a turn for the worse and it seems that I left just at the right time. The stress that I felt while I was there is no more. That within itself is worth retiring over.
So, what is my plan since retiring? I’ve got several irons in the fire, none of which requires getting up and going to a regular job. I was blessed with an excellent pension and my 401k didn’t look bad at all either. I made an appointment before retiring with a financial planner and he told me that I had nothing to worry about. In fact, I got a little raise since retiring so I think we’re going to do just fine.
On most occasions, I get up with my wife when she gets up to get ready to go to work. I usually sit and talk with her while she’s eating breakfast. After she leaves, I usually take a shower and go to the garage and work on some woodworking projects. I take care of the laundry and try to have dinner cooking when my wife gets home from work.
Other things such as setting up my camera so that it can take pictures of the bird feeder have been another little project that I’ve been working on. It’s the simple things in life that make it interesting. My cats and I enjoy watching the birds in the morning while we’re sitting in the kitchen spending time with the wife while she’s eating breakfast.
On another note and this will be the last of this update for now. My cancer numbers are starting to look pretty good but on the other side of that coin, my iron levels have started to plummet. I’ve had to do two iron transfusions and had to have a colonoscopy and an endoscopy to find out where I’m bleeding out. Ulcers, I’ve got two bleeding ulcers. Another pill to add to my pharmacy list.
Thanks for taking the time to read and I’ll post again soon.
Today’s Thoughts 4/27/2018
27 Friday Apr 2018
Posted in Photography
Tags
While I’m sitting here waiting for my sleep aids to take effect I can’t help but wonder what life will be after I retire in a few months. I don’t have anything really planned after I retire other than the norm…such as yard work, paint the house and other odds and ends that needed to get done. My wife thinks that I should maybe find another paying job. The problem with that is, except for the last few months, I’ve been in and out of the hospital and doctor’s office so much that I can’t build up any vacation time. Every time I build up some hours something happens and I’m back in the hospital again. Usually, when I go to the hospital, I’m in there for four or five days with the doctors running all sorts of tests. It’s always the same results; fluid around my heart and lungs. They don’t listen to me though, and off I go for a battery of tests.
Anyway, maybe I can find a part-time job, working only three days a week or so. I’ve even thought about getting my CDL and becoming a school bus driver. Work a few months out of the year and off during the summer. I think I’d like that. Except, my wife doesn’t think I’ll like that. Said I don’t have the temperament for it. I’d probably throw a fit and get fired. Maybe…maybe not.
I’ve tried raising bees. I’ve got everything needed to raise a couple of hives. They keep leaving though. The last hive I had was doing so good. They had made enough honey in the super that I went out and bought a hand crank extractor. Two weeks later, the original hive was gone and other bees were robbing all the honey out. No honey for me and no bees. After three times of losing the bees, I think maybe beekeeping is not for me. Too expensive just to have the bees leave.
I have an HVAC contractor’s license. I guess if all else fails I could go into business for myself and work on peoples air-condition units. I tried that years ago, found out that people want you to do the work for free. Ended up having to get payment up front before doing the work just so that I would know I’d get paid. I stayed too busy and plus, I don’t like working in people attics. Too hot and too cramped.
I did photography work as well for many years. I did mainly weddings. There again, people wanted you to do the work for free. Had signed contracts but yet when the wedding was over, I would spend weeks trying to get in touch with them to get the remainder of my money. Another thing about weddings. There were a few wedding that never started on time. I would tell the bride to be there at noon if the wedding started at two just so that we would have time to get all the pictures done before the wedding. I had one lady show up ten minutes till two dress in blue jean shorts, wife beater t-shirt and her hair still in curlers. Remind you now, the wedding started at two and she shows up at ten till still needing to get dressed.
Sleep meds are starting to kick in. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.
Retirement
06 Tuesday Mar 2018
Posted in Cancer, Uncategorized, Weight Loss
Tags
Job, Life, Retirement, Work
Only 163 more days. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, although dim, I can still see it. Some days, like today, it seems that it will never get here. I’m not exactly sure what I’ll be doing once I retire but I’m sure it won’t be dealing with some of the crap that I have to deal with now on a daily basis. I know that I’ll have to find something to do otherwise I’ll get as big as the side of the barn. I have several hobbies that will keep me from sitting on the couch and there’s always yard work to do. Maybe I’ll find a job that I can drive people around a couple days a week. Who knows?
Update 3/4/2018
04 Sunday Mar 2018
Posted in Cancer, Leukemia, Photography
I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted an update and I do apologize for that. With my health such a roller coaster and my job is as crazy as it is well, I just haven’t taken the time to write.
First of all, let me say that I’m feeling better today than I have in years. Seriously, with all the crap my body has been going through, it’s about time. But, I have a feeling that it’s about to change for the worse again.
We found out that the meds for my CML was causing all the fluid to build up around my heart and lungs; more so the lungs. In short, the oncologist took me off my meds and my pulmonologist took 1.5 liters of fluid off my left lung. He left fluid in my right lung due to him not wanting the infection to set in on either or both the lungs. A heavy dose of Lasix and now my right lung is clear of fluid. In two weeks I see my oncologist and a new med will be prescribed and one of the main side effects is fluid retention. Oh well, it was good while it lasted.
At this writing, I will be retiring on August 15th of this year. After 32 years I’ve finally had enough, well, I’ve had enough long ago but I can officially retire when I turn 55 so I’m turning in my notice. I’ve got a lot of hobbies so I know I will stay busy.
I’m working on a Youtube video about the tornado that went through our city back in 2011 and I’m doing some test shots with my drone. Let me know what you think of it. In the video that I’m working on, I will hopefully show some areas of our city that still shows some damage that the tornado left. I will also show areas of major improvements that wouldn’t have happened if the tornado hadn’t visited our city.
There’s a lot more going on but I’ll post about it later. I hope you enjoy the video.
Tim
365 Day Photo Challenge 357/365 “New Hobby”
22 Tuesday Dec 2015
Posted in Photography
When I was just a kid my dad and I would visit my grandfather on the mountain and I would help my grandfather rob the bees. I can’t tell you the times I got stung. My grandfather would have his hood on and long gloves and he would have his smoker to calm the bees. The bees never seem to bother my grandfather because, as I found out later, the bees were used to him being there. Since a kid I had always wanted to tend to the bees as my grandfather did but never found the time.
My grandfather never made a lot of money with the honey because he didn’t really try to sell it. Most of it went to the family. He even traded some of it for food and clothing. At one time my grandfather had thirty-five hives. Most all of which are gone now either by weather or by rot.
I’ve decided sometime ago that I’m going to retire in less than three years. I have several hobbies already but none of which are profitable. Beekeeping, if done right, can be very profitable. I have given myself three years to start this hobby and try to make it a profitable business. I have several friends already keeping bees and have already offered their help. So, with all that said, I ordered my first complete hive last night. Should be here Thursday. It will be later on before I can get the bees. I’m looking forward to it.
“Life Goes On!
365 Day Photo Challenge 290/365 “Mismanagement”
16 Friday Oct 2015
Posted in Photography
I’m trying so hard to keep a positive attitude but it’s becoming very hard to do so. We lost one of our guys today due to the management of our department and several more are talking about leaving. I’ve been with the company for nearly 30 years and I’ve never seen it this bad. I asked on of the guys I work with what he thought we could do to boost the moral in our department. The response he gave was to somehow obtain a new manager. As much as I’d like to see that myself I don’t believe that’s going to happen anytime soon. You see, the upper management likes my manager and believes he can do no wrong. It doesn’t matter what our opinion is of him because ultimately it’s our fault that we have a problem with him.
My boss never gives one encouraging word. You can bust your butt for hours and maybe days on end on a project and when you’re done it’s–“You missed a spot” not, Oh, you did a good job and I really appreciate what you’ve done but this is where you didn’t complete the job. He always sees the negative and never sees the positive. How can you work with someone like this?
I’ve stated before that I have less than 3 years left before I can retire from this job. I’m having to bite my tongue on a daily basis not to say something that could get me fired. I just hope for my families sake that I can hold out to either I can retire or the management sees that our management needs an overhaul.
“Life Goes On!”
365 Day Photo Challenge 289/365 “The Next Chapter”
15 Thursday Oct 2015
Posted in Photography
It will be a challenging day tomorrow because we’re losing one of our guys. He’s been with the company for over twelve years and I not only count him as a co worker but also as a dear friend. He’s had all he can take and he’s found him another job elsewhere.
A little over a year ago our department changed management and to be honest no one likes the new guy. He’s too strict and so dominating. He doesn’t believe in camaraderie and everything should be strictly business. He’s too much of a company man. I’ve been with this company for nearly thirty years and I’ve never been treated as bad as I have been treated during the last few months and it’s only getting worse. I don’t blame my friend at all for leaving. In fact, if I were in the same shoes I’d be right behind him. However, I’ve only got 34 months before I can retire so I’m going to have to keep biting my tongue and live with it until either my boss gets the message, I get fired or I retire.
I wish you the best my friend.
“Life Goes On!”
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