Retreading for Retirement

It’s time once again for Weekend Coffee Share.

If we were having coffee, I’d say, “Oh look, I slept an hour later than I thought I did.” And then I’d remember that we hadn’t yet changed the clocks for daylight savings time. I’d realize that when I checked Facebook on my phone and saw everybody’s complaints about daylight savings time.

I understand why people hate that one night when the time change occurs, because they lose an hour of sleep that night. But most people were complaining about daylight savings time in general, and this I don’t agree with. I’m a night owl. I’d much rather have that extra hour of daylight in the evening, when I’m awake and active, than in the morning, when I’m asleep. Just call me contrary.

I’d also tell you that after the coldest February and early March in a long time, we are finally back into our normal temperature range for this time of year. We had been in the high 30s to very low 40s F., but now were back in the mid to upper 50s, which is much better. And I don’t envy my family and friends back in New England, where I grew up. They are supposed to have another big snow storm overnight Monday/Tuesday.

Finally, I’d tell you that I don’t have much else to tell you, and that’s a good thing. One of the best aspects of retirement is that each day is pretty much the same as the previous day. With the exception of the occasional routine doctor’s appointment or social event, anything out of the ordinary would probably be bad, so I’m happy when my days are uneventful.

And now I’d like to know: How have things been going for you? Well, I hope. Until next week …

© 2017 by Mary Daniels Brown

In the past I’ve read other bloggers who participate in the Weekend Coffee Share. I often thought I’d like to participate but never did the actual work to figure out how to do it. But when Nerd in the Brain, who also hosts Three Things Thursday, announced that she would be taking on the mantle of hosting Weekend Coffee Share, I knew it was my time to jump in.

Here, then, is my first submission for Weekend Coffee Share.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you how discouraged I am over the current situation in the U.S. Every new headline is another cause for worry. A lot of what’s going on would be funny … if it weren’t so serious. And I fear many citizens are not taking all of this seriously enough. What’s happening now is not just something we can trust will work itself out. I am truly frightened by what I’m seeing. Read this article “We have at most a year to defend American democracy, perhaps less“ to see why. Thank you, and now I’ll try to stop obsessing over this.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you about all the television I’m watching to distract me from obsessing. The AMC drama Humans returned Monday night for its second season. The focus of the new season seems to be on the question of what constitutes consciousness and what happens if/when androids can achieve consciousness. Heady thoughts for someone interested in the intersection of psychology and literature. And tonight the second season of Showtime’s Billions begins. This show pits a wealthy tech billionaire (played by Damien Lewis) against a U.S. attorney (played by Paul Giamatti) determined to bring him down. Billions is a fluffy but enjoyable self-indulgence for me. And while I’m on the subject of Showtime, it’s too bad the network undertook to eke out yet another season for Homeland, which has long since outgrown its premise and now has no idea what it is. In the last two or three months we’ve watched a number of foreign series on Netflix: Dicte (about a Danish journalist), Case (a police procedural set in Iceland), and The Break (a police procedural set in Belgium) that provided insight into other cultures. Currently we are caught up in the reign of Queen Victoria on PBS’s Masterpiece Theatre.

If we were having coffee, I’d ask about what’s happening in your world. And I’d tell you I look forward to next week.

© 2017 by Mary Daniels Brown