While laying on the beach and watching the clouds drift over last week, Brenda stuck a granola bar in my mouth and I laughed, commenting that I was like a seagull … a Jonathan Livingston Seagull. She rolled her eyes as I headed down memory lane remembering and played the Richard Bach story (fable) from my youth. Eventually I pulled up the Neil Diamond soundtrack on my phone … and so for today’s Music Monday, here’s a live performance from 1977 on YouTube.
This whiny post is going to ring hollow for those going through serious problems … or even noticing that I was recentlydifficult time adjusting to shifting gears.
Brenda and I now have more unstructured time, particularly since Brenda’s surgeries and rehab (although I do still try to do work each day). The earlier than expected shift towards retirement has me adjusting to how to deal with more/increased spending at a time we have a lot less income (Brenda not working and for me, strolling on the beach and enjoying life … BUT I’m having a I’m purposely working less). We’re not yet to our Social Security FRA age or even Medicare, so I can now understand what those who tried to retire early complained about: More time but no income and higher expenses.
Today’s gripe is the 40% … yes 40% … jump in our annual auto insurance rates. We have not made a single policy or auto change …or claim … yet our annual car insurance rose 40% (even a policy re-write could not bring the number down)! Personally I’m not sure how those with a poor driving history or newer more expensive vehicles can afford all of the insurance necessary in a year? Since the other cars in my fleet (cough, cough) are on a separate collectable car policy, I’m now wondering just how much they will go up when the renewal date comes. Perhaps it is time to sell them and just live with two cars?
A warning for those still planning (especially for the self-employed small business types), once one nears their much anticipated retirement age, it can be difficult to shift from “saving and working towards a comfortable retirement” to starting to spend down one’s retirement savings. This can be even more challenging at a time of economic uncertainty. The current rapid inflation, jittery financial markets and a questionable economy makes all the years of planning even a little more dicey (and all of that is before wondering if the world is on the brink of war).
At first glance, a comet THREE TIMES the size of Mount Everestspeeding towards earth is enough to get my attention. After a little more reading about this “horned” cryovolcanic comet … it will supposedly pass us by without incident. Whew.
That said, it will pass close enough to earth next year (closest point on April 21, 2024) to be visable by the naked eye. I’m sure by then we will be hearing a bit more about it and at least I will be doing my best to look up when the night sky is clear. Mark your calendar.
More about cryovolcanic comets
Cryovolcanism, a fascinating geological phenomenon, refers to the eruption of volatiles such as water, methane, or ammonia instead of molten rock. When this occurs on comets, such as with 12p/Pons-Brooks discussed above, it leads to spectacular space vistas and offers unique insights into these celestial objects.
Cryovolcanic comets, while not as commonly discussed as their traditional counterparts, play a pivotal role in our ongoing exploration and understanding of the solar system’s outer realms.
Those who are elected (or strong-armed their way to power) are failing miserably at keeping peace in our world as we teeter on the edge of yet another war. No matter how advance we think we are, human beings are unable to get along with each other.
Stock Market Indices market close 10/18/2023
Stock market investors, after a week of holding up relatively well after the war between Israel and Hamas began after the terrorist attack on citizens living in Israel, have finally felt the impact as all indices moved down on Wednesday. The IDF has warned of their plan to go into the Gaza City, but as been holding off due to a variety of assumed reasons: military preparation, hostage negotiations (?), weather, a visit from President Biden and an errant rocket from within Gaza that hit a Palestinian hospital. Personally, it has surprised me that we didn’t have a sell-off on Monday?
Although a new iPhone14 or 15 would make the quality of photos a little better, my old iPhone7plus is still chugging along. I haven’t taken a panoramic for a while, so rather than go the selfie route (Brenda veto-ed the photo we took) for today’s vacation blog post. So I’ll post a Delray Beach pano photo below and a few jellyfish photos (there were more than usual). The “recharge” for our aging bodies (and Brenda’s replacement parts — still semi-rehabbing) were needed this October … even more than usual.
As I’ve blogged a few times before, when it comes to history books, I enjoy reading and learning about World War II history and those of “the Greatest Generation” who rose to moment to save the world in the 1940s. My focus for the last decade or so has been in studying the Pacific Theater between 1941 and 1946 … although I’ve read and spent time studying events preceeding the US going to war.
While listening in segments, I had the opportunity to do a little Internet sleuthing as I really needed to check out a few maps. Although I haven’t gone back to research maps on Peleliu, I have been studying the maps of Okinawa that are detailed on an ibibio.org website.
Brenda is now listening to the audiobook version along with me and will not let me listen ahead (I understand this!) She is as enthralled and moved by the “heavy” details of what these American heroes did to save our country and win the war against a very evil enemy. There’s no way to soft sell it, the soldier of the Empire of Japan were a vicious and horrible enemy. These US Marines who went head to head with an entrench enemy were amazing men. Currently we made it through Peleliu and are at chapter 8 and preparing to land on Okinawa. I can’t imagine being a survivor of previous landing and having to do it again.
Nothing important, but I wanted to backup the MyDesultoryBlog database and then update to WordPress 6.3.2; it is the first update since the PHP change. Thankfully all is running smoothly and the update took. All is well with the blog.
Thankfully Brenda and I had a chance to escape reality, unwind a little bit, have a banana (photo right) … and walk along a sandy beach. We came across a Stand up Paddler #SUP enjoying a morning on a relatively quiet seashore and a school of fish erupting every so often as it inched ever closer to us walking on the beach. It was peaceful … and I didn’t want to leave (enjoy the peaceful 2 minute video).
Romans 12:18
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”
Like most … but depressingly not all Americans … I’ve been heavy hearted and angry this week after Hamas terrorist slaughtered innocent Israeli civilians (including 27 Americans) and took an estimated 150 hostages back to Gaza. I’m not sure how those who side with Hamas and their backers (Iran) can explain away such horrific murder, but from my perspective, there is NO possible way to justify such evil. The Nazis hid and denied their death camps and genocide … Hamas and their backers openly celebrate it. It is impossible to rationalize … yet we continue to try to understand the motivation behind Hamas, their supporters and apologists.
Last week Brenda and I too much time watching the reporting and social media coverage from Israel. We saw the heavy destructive Israeli airstrikes preparing way for the IDF ground forces to hopefully first rescue the hostages before rooting out Hamas in Gaza City and the Gaza Strip. Who knows how long it will take and how many more lives will be lost?
To refresh my memory, I studied a few maps of the modern State of Israel, the past wars when Arab countries attacked Israel (1968 and 1973) — above — and “tried” to understand the hatred and antisemitism that has never gone away. The struggle between Arabs, Israel and the West has existed my entire lifetime (as it has with previous generations) and no attempt at finding peace has ever been successful long term, especially with the more radical Muslims and militant groups.
