Category: retirement

  • A Beer Called Ruthie

    A Beer Called Ruthie

    Ruthie is a good name for a beer. It’s a craft brew made by Exile Brewing Company in Des Moines, Iowa. It was named the official craft beer of the Iowa State Fair this year. There’s a cute picture of Ruthie on the bottle pouring beer into a couple of glasses balanced on her bosom.…

  • Let Happiness Leak

    Let Happiness Leak

    This is just a post to offset the grumpy one from a couple of days ago. Sena and I took a walk on the Clear Creek Trail and she broke me up with her shenanigans. Along the way, we found a painted rock in a tree which had the word “corridor rocks” printed on it.…

  • Signs to Guide Me

    Signs to Guide Me

    It’s been a long while since my last post. I’ve been busy looking for signs to help guide me in adjusting to this retirement gig. It’s a tough skill set to learn. I saw this bug on our house the other day. It turned out to be a Praying Mantis. Don’t quibble about the precious…

  • Ten Month Countdown to Retirement

    Ten Month Countdown to Retirement

    Starting this month, I’ve got a 10-month countdown to retirement. I was reminded of that when I got a brochure in the mail for the University of Wisconsin 7th Annual Update and Advances in Psychiatry. It’s scheduled for October 11-12, 2019 at the Monona Terrace, which is the usual location. I’ve received these announcements in…

  • Moaning and Groaning About Deck Maintenance

    Moaning and Groaning About Deck Maintenance

    We’re pretty dedicated to maintaining everything about our property, including deck maintenance. Check that; actually, my wife is dedicated. I’m usually hard to find when it comes to chores like that. When it’s time for deck cleaning and sealing, there is always some emergency I need to address on the other side of town or…

  • If You Can’t Stand the Heat…

    If You Can’t Stand the Heat…

    We saw this rabbit in our front yard today, stretched out on the grass under our crabapple tree. It’s 117 degrees this afternoon with the heat index and we won’t get out from under the Excessive Heat Warning until later this evening. Thank goodness for air conditioning. Rabbits don’t have air conditioning and can’t escape…

  • Back in the Saddle

    Back in the Saddle

    Well, I’m pretty tapped out, so it’ll be a short post today. I’m back in the saddle, running around the hospital on the psychiatry consult service. This is my last year of phased retirement and in 11 months—I’ll be fully retired. I put 36 floors and 3 miles on the step counter. I’m feeling every…

  • Hickory Hill Park Ramble

    Hickory Hill Park Ramble

    We visited Hickory Hill Park today in Iowa City. We’ve lived in this area for 30 years and have been near it but never walked a trail until now. It’s full of trees, birds, and other wildlife, including deer, which seemed to pose for the camera. I say we’ve been near it because we have…

  • My Top Ten YouTube Videos

    My Top Ten YouTube Videos

    OK, my top ten YouTube videos are going to get pretty low ratings anyplace else. But where else are you going to see the list but on my blog? In a world where popular videos are viral at a million plus views, I’m way in the back yard. I wasn’t very picky, of course, because…

  • The Paperboy

    The Paperboy

    I don’t read the news much at all these days. It’s almost always bad, anyway. I was a paperboy in my youth. I delivered the Des Moines Register and Tribune for a year and earned a certificate as Honor Salesman. Let me tell you a little something about being an Honor Salesman back in those…