DUE FOR RETIREMENT ?.................GET A HOBBY !

In 1994 just before retirement, Margot mentioned to me, that she did not want me laying around all day watching TV...............so she advised, very strongly for me to GET A HOBBY.  After all, I was only 58 at that time SAS had offered me a package that gave me full medical until reaching the age of medicare, full travel benefits for Margot and Me until death, two years severance plus a whole list of smaller amenities.  Why would I want to work?  Hobby?  what kind of hobby.  golf, building model boats, planes and cars, photography, painting..........I had tried them all.  Golf seemed to have lasted the longest, about 10 years, still like taking pictures but as for the rest of those hobbies people do..............just didn't last. I did do somethings I like and still like doing..........renovating old houses, but now pushing 82 most  joints in my body are turning a little stiff  and Margot will not let me get up on a ladder.   Bottom line is that my hobby list has been narrowed down to photography, writing and watching TV.  I have added another interest called Fact Checking. 

Most of my friends call that political and have told me to stop but since 2016 this hobby has been able to occupy a lot of my time and this administration has been very good to me to offer the incentive to review and check out things, because of their contradictions to fact.................but like the advice people offer I do not want to change anyone's mind, I just wish they would be more opened to discuss differences of opinion. I have been able to utilize many different collectors of information along with  reading several newspapers and watching different programs on TV to make sure I understand both sides of each subject.  I have come to the conclusion that we, as a society, are in big trouble.
I remember in high school and my short lived life in college that we were encouraged to discuss differences of opinions..............even though the teachers opinion ruled at the end of any discussion......that's the way one learns. Discussions were very valid in growing up to the extent that I even was opened to being able to discuss points with my parents.............they always, thought I was extremely bright.................however regardless of what I thought ...............dad had the first right to override, mom the second...............being an only child that left me with the 3 choice (and always loosing). That's the way I learned things.  Let me hear what you think and perhaps I could use that information,  if not.........I win and you loose.

Getting back to the original subject.  It is now 24 years into retirement, I have discovered that all my hobbies resulted into a desire to increase revenue, even though I don't particularly need it. I have formed two corporations but have never taken "a salary" however I have used corporate benefits. I closed one corporation last year and ended up selling the name and the domain. Since the new tax law favors corporations I will retain the second corporation but still not take a salary.  One lesson I learned was to NEVER LIE AND NEVER CHEAT................but take advantage of all that is offered.  To this day, my hobby of money and photography still remain, keeps me busy reading the tax laws and fact checking.
During these 24 years, I have never realized that what I actually was doing was really a hobby. Did not have to get up at a certain time, shower, shave get dress and drive to an office.  I found that having a 5 o'clock shadow and wearing shorts and a T shirt was OK for talking on the phone,  just as long as it was not skype.

Beginning to think about running barefoot on the sands of some fantastically warm, bikini clad beach.........(sure hope that thong bathing suit is still in style)....,  sitting back at dinner time with a margarita in hand and smelling the fresh smells of.................freshly made tacos.  Certainly hope they serve them with spinach salad or broccoli since I do need my vitamin K to go along with my sunshine pill, vitamin C or D or whatever.  Will post some information on FB for you to see.  Will join some old friends from SAS days.  I will begin my next blog while away but will publish it on arrival back .   SURE DO NEED SUNSHINE to lubricate these old bones. Sure is surprising  the amount of rust one gets from living in a noted rain area. 

Until then...............................see you in the funny papers.
Vito  
 
 

THE DAYS GONE BY...................

 

 

 



 

  Would you believe the email spell checker did not recognize the word Murgatroyd? Heavens to Mergatroyd!

Lost Words from our childhood: Words gone as fast as the buggy whip! Sad really!

The other day, I mentioned something to one of my grandkids about driving a Jalopy and he looked at me quizzically and said "What the heck is a Jalopy?"

O.M.G. (new phrase)! He never heard of the word jalopy!! I knew I  was old.... But not that old.. Well, I hope you are Hunky Dory after you read this and chuckle.

About a month ago, I illuminated some old expressions that have become obsolete because of the inexorable march of technology. These phrases included "Don't touch that dial," "Carbon copy," "You sound like a broken record" and "Hung out to dry." Back in the old days we had a lot of 'moxie.' We'd put on our best 'bib and tucker' to' straighten up and fly right'.

Heavens to Betsy! Gee whilikers! Jumping Jehoshaphat! Holy moley!

We we're in like Flynn' and 'living the life of Riley'', and even a regular guy couldn't accuse us of being a knucklehead, a nincompoop or a pill. Not for all the tea in China!

Back in the old days, life used to be swell, but when's the last time anything was swell? Swell has gone the way of beehives, pageboys and the D.A.; of spats, knickers, fedoras, poodle skirts, saddle shoes and pedal pushers. AND DON'T FORGET... Saddle Stitched Pants

Oh, my aching back! Kilroy was here, but he isn't anymore. We wake up from what surely has been just a short nap, and before we can say, Well, I'll be 'A monkey's uncle!' Or, This is a 'fine kettle of fish'! We discover that the words we grew up with, the words that seemed omnipresent, as oxygen, have vanished with scarcely a notice from our tongues and our pens and our keyboards.

Poof, go the words of our youth, the words we've left behind. We blink, and they're gone.
Where have all those great phrases gone? ( My Favorite)" Let's all go to the beach Saturday"

Long gone: Pshaw, The milkman did it. Hey! It's your nickel. Don't forget to pull the chain. Knee high to a grasshopper. Well, Fiddlesticks! Going like sixty. I'll see you in the funny papers. Don't take any wooden nickels. Wake up and smell the roses.

It turns out there are more of these lost words and expressions than Carter has liver pills. This can be disturbing stuff! ("Carter's Little Liver Pills" are gone too!)

We of a certain age have been blessed to live in changeable times. For a child each new word is like a shiny toy, a toy that has no age. We at the other end of the chronological arc have the advantage of remembering there are words that once did not exist and there were words that once strutted their hour upon the earthly stage and now are heard no more, except in our collective memory.

It's one of the greatest advantages of aging. Leaves us to wonder where Superman will find a phone booth..

See ya later, alligator!   Okey-dokey               (this sent to me from a very good Swedish friend)

WE ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE FABULOUS 40'S and 50'S.

My life basically is broken down into 4 phases.   Young (growing up) teens (high school), military and career with SAS.  Where have those days gone! What will the....................days of the future bring me.? Will I be able to tell the difference between .......then      and      now, especially when words differ so. A whole new language is taking effect and now even the government speaks in different terms, a language I really don't understand.

If it wasn't for facebook I probably would have lost contact with most of my good friends. It seems that every day I get to talk with friends from those two periods of my life. I guess, though that FB thinks I am apparently a Russian spy since I can no longer see my blog postings on FB, something about security.  So I will send an email with all new postings to you.  If you know of anyone that would be interested in seeing those, please feel free to pass it on and they can subscribe  to them.

see you in the funny book....................soon
Vito 


 

LET'S HAVE A PARADE...............not political...............really!!

This is where I do my best thinking and writing from.  My deck.................

I have just read where Donny Trump has issued a strong suggestion to the Pentagon to prepare for a massive military parade.............similar to the one given in France.  I sincerely thinks he means like the one we see televised from North Korea that shows a goose stepping military, accompanied by massive size missiles ,heavy military weapons and everyone clapping for the leader  UN.  This would be the ultimate for trumps ego. Now...................let's review what I think this would look like in real life having been part of a similar one going through a small German town.  When I first arrived in Germany, I was sent to a town called Baumholder. A small German town with about 200 nationals 15000 military troops, lets say for argument sake evenly split between American, British and French military. One of my first days there we were alerted to participate in a secretive NATO maneuver where all troops were to move out and go to a specific area...............for what I still haven't been able to figure that out. All I really recall were two things  trying to manipulate a 2 1/2 ton truck pulling an artillery canon behind it through  tiny German streets making turns that needed a hell of a lot of pull forward,  backup, pull  forward, back up directed by 10 guys sitting in the back of the truck yelling directions to the driver. We almost put one of the artillery canons through the bakery shop window on one of the backups.............but we had our mission. This was hysterical.  The other part was when we arrive at our SECRET location there was Pia, Inge, Maria and some of the other local girls to meet us with chocolate bars, and pastries.  Seems to me it should have been the other way around from what I heard of from WWII veterans. They had arrived by bike at least a half hour before us.

Now I relate this to a parade down Pennsylvania Ave  ...for some reason. First of all the cost would be $8 million + which to me could be used for much better things i.e. paying back some of the money congress once took from Social Security and Medicare as a loan, or perhaps feeding the homeless which is more than 80% veterans down in their luck. Anyway, along we march. Will the streets be able to hold the weight of the giant tanks, the giant people movers, giant missiles resting on their giant moveable launchers, hundred of troops and thousand of cheering, clapping by- standers or will the roads crumble.  I can only visualize one of these giant missiles resting on its giant missile launcher rumbling past the White House and suddenly opening a giant sink hole  and pulling in two or three of these giant what-evers and we having no crane large enough to lift it out of the hole.  To me, there would be only two solutions.
1. fire off the missile to lessen the weight and then lift the launcher out of the sink hole
2. build the missile into a monument with a big beautiful wall and the missile pointed directly at the white house.

Other than that there would be no choice.  So, my friends there is the big beautiful parade costing million of dollars. Is it not possible to just have a nice everyday type of parade without all the show of equipment???  Why do we want to show the world what we have so they can take pictures of it and we know, very well, that the Chinese have the ability to easily duplicate things.
 Now, not knowing exactly the route to be taken I would have to take a guess that before the parade begins we would have to take down electric wires, any over the road signs under 75' high, remove all sign posts that would be in the way making turns, have bomb sniffing dogs go over the whole route, have sharp shooters on any tall building for protection, build a special observation stand for the commander in chief, his family and all V.I. P invited guests, increase secret service protection, and a proper looking commanders uniform to fit the occasion, and our commander in chief.  You just can't wear anything to these occasions. To pay for all this, the middle class will relinquish there pay raises from the tax reform bill scam and the government will sell tickets and give the money to the rich. The crowds will be flown in first class and be given clapping classes  and standing up classes so that all will be done in sequence as we see it done in North Korea. It goes without saying that this will be the biggest, bestest parade known to mankind.  Thank you Donny.

Thanks folks hope you enjoyed my rendition of THE parade.

LUNCH TODAY

Margot and I were having lunch today, when something came to mind of years gone by.  Before the age of 30 it seems most people try to think of age as.............almost 21  rather then  20.  When reaching 30 you always gave you actual age.  Over 50 one would look at age as  "I wish I was 49 again"  Now this is all relevant but basically what I'm coming to is  before 30 a person wanted to be older. Over 30 you were happy with your true age and once you became 50 you tried to age yourself younger. Does that make sense? I think this came about when a young lady recently asked for my drivers license  she looked at it and looked up at me and said " you certainly do not look your age"   I asked her what she meant by that......"well sir you certainly do not look like you're ALMOST 82"  this told me immediately she was under 30. I asked her to take a guess at what age I look like.  " not more than 60"  I immediately puffed out my chest, sucked in my waste and thanked her holding my breath a little .......................than gave her a romantically sly look ..................and an extra $5.00 tip.             Best lunch place ever..................!!!!   

     



 

THERE'S A GHOST IN THE HOUSE

I thought I would open  with a picture of my Mom and Dad with the one and only.......................ME, OF COURSE.  Had to start this one posting really quick so I wouldn't forget what it was about.  In my last posting, you will remember how I told you about my parents budgeting methods and where Mom would ...............hide..............her money for that rainy day. This morning, I needed a Band-Aid, so I of course went to the medicine cabinet to get one.  Opened the can and LOW AND BEHOLD............no band-aids............BUT...........$700 in small bills..............Mom are you here?????   I'm rich!!!

I'll not forget that day in July 1966 when I was called into the Station Managers office at JFK airport.  Also in the office was the VP of Operations for SAS, John Anderson. They sat me down asked a couple of questions and then broke the news, that they would like me to accept a job OPENING the SAS facilities at Seattle airport......would I be interested?  It would mean a raise and the possibility of future promotions with the company.  They gave me the opportunity to take this home and discuss it with my wife.
That night was a very interesting one for us. Many questions came to mind but one of the biggest was how we would break the news to my parents.  WOW, the pressure was building. We slept on that and the next day visited my mom and dad to give them this news.  I could see it in my dad's eyes the disappointment since it was always a dream of his that I would eventually leave SAS and do something on my own.  It was really my mom's feeling that hurt...........as she ................approached this question with a question............" are you ripping away our granddaughter " just for your own satisfaction.  WOW  that hurt especially when not long before we had broke the news that Margot was expecting another grandchild for them.
 Anyway, time went by, we flew to NY as much as possible and my parents visited in Seattle twice a year. Everything worked out OK.  Fifty-two years later, we are still in Seattle, our children not more than 1 hour away, grandkids within two hours..............but both will graduate college this year and who knows where they will end up.  Our daughter spent four years in Hungary while her husband was working there, when he was transferred to India for two years, Lisa veto'd the move for her and the dogs and moved back to Seattle. Now they live less than 20 minutes away but they still have the urge to once again live in Europe. Scott, lives on Lake Union in the center of Seattle. Scott ended up with waterfront property Here  he's shown with his home.                                                                 

Scott loves this living and he retires from the police dept. in about 3 years. By then the boys should be on their own and who knows what Scott will do next....................bigger boat...............who knows??? He's into hiking, biking, camping and most things outdoors.

Just as long as I am able to see the kids and the grandkids Life will be good.

Hopefully I will be able to include some travel adventures with you. Here is one where everyone knows of and everyone should go to at least once in a lifetime. Parts of the city is sinking into the water, especially around St. Marks Square which is encircled by small cafes. You can literally sit there, sip your coffee and listen to the music played for hours at a time................or you can stand in the center of the square and feed the pigeons that will engulf you.  Here is my vision of Venice and what it offers.   Enjoy.



https://youtu.be/p073JLHOKlY


more to come.................keep tuned............................Vito

Judy Wallman Trump, a professional genealogy researcher in southern 

California, was doing some personal work on her own family tree.

She discovered that President Donald Trump's great, great uncle, Remus 

Trump, was hanged for horse stealing and train robbery in Montana in 1889.

Both Judy and President Trump share this common ancestor.

The only known photograph of Remus shows him standing on the gallows in 

Montana territory. On the back of the picture Judy obtained during her 

research is this inscription: *“Remus Trump, horse thief, sent to Montana 

Territorial Prison 1885, escaped 1887, robbed the Montana Flyer six times. 

  

Caught by Pinkerton detectives, convicted and hanged in 1889.”*

So Judy recently e-mailed the President for information about their great, 

great uncle, Remus.


Believe it or not, President Trump's staff sent this response back 

:

* 

"

Remus Trump was a famous cowboy in the Montana Territory. His business 

empire grew to include acquisition of valuable equestrian assets and 

intimate dealings with the Montana railroad.  Beginning in 1883, he devoted 

several years of his life to government service, finally taking leave to 

resume his dealings with the railroad. 

 

In 1887, he was a key player in a 

vital investigation run by the renowned Pinkerton Detective Agency. In 1889, 

Remus passed away during an important civic function held in his honor when 

the platform upon which he was standing collapsed.”*
Now in politics, 

THAT 'S

how it's done 

folks!

 

 

WOW.................2018

ANOTHER  year under my belt.  ANOTHER year of New Year's resolutions.................that will not go past 2 or 3 months.  What to do................shall I continue to make these impossible to keep resolutions or should I be realistic with myself and make one I can finally keep.   OH, what to do. It seems that all my resolutions are made New Years Eve, usually during the drinking part of the evening..............perhaps that's the reason I make those horrible decisions and then fail to keep them.  This year it will be different.............I'm going to wait until the day or perhaps 2 days after when the vision of plums are not dancing in my head.   That last statement makes it sound like I drink to much.  Not so, I usually share a bottle of wine with at least one other person, usually my wife and since neither one of us like champagne we usually just settle for a glass of wine, click glasses and it's off to la-la land. WOW how times change with age.  Now, having said all that, it is now the 6 of February and I have made my decision as to my New Years resolution.  There will be NONE.  I have decided to start the year the same way I ended 2017.  Weight wise, I am going in the right direction..............down. Financially, I was going up,(until I read the new tax law and found out that it's only a minimal temporary upswing and it's NOT FOR THE MIDDLE CLASS. anyone who thinks it is...............you better brush up on math 101 and reading 101) lucky I still own a corporation......to protect some of my assets. I have a great family, most of all a super wife.  One that understands me, encourages me when it's needed and discourages me also when needed. I will simply begin this year with how 2017 ended. I was at the gym this morning doing the usual 25 minute walk around the indoor track. At the end of the walk I noticed a nice lady standing and doing her stretches..............just to start a little dialogue I asked if she had made her New Years resolution, she looked at me with a big question mark on her face and very nicely said..................screw you.
 I'm looking forward to 2018 now. Enough about resolutions, now is the time to look ahead.

Upcoming trip to Puerto Vallarta is on the agenda along with one other trip to use up accumulated miles.  Where and when will that one be........  I am sure Margot will have a lot to say about that, unfortunately my bathing suit is a little big for me and I just can't see any reason to buy a new one, so I have to be careful not to pick to many beach resorts like Margot prefers.  I have not been on skis for about 15 years so we have to consider that snow areas are out also.  That leaves mountains for hiking which just is to much walking or casinos which involves to much sitting., which leaves...................????  I would just be happy, sitting, thinking and watching people..........with a wine in my hand, a sweater thrown over my shoulders and a quizable look on my face. It all sounds nice, but is it really me??

I guess I could join with the rest of society and talk about politics and the mess that has been created to this country since the last election................but that just irritates me to no end, so I will just stay out of that mess. I want these next years to be enjoyable.  Having said that, only one thing left to enjoy talking about.........................and the very thing I started this blog for. Growing up, traveling and friends.  Biggest problem is trying to remember those things in some kind of chronological order. That alone will keep me busy. Each year, for the past 5 years, I noticed that my wellness examination ...............that medicare provides free..................I have been asked to draw a clock and put the hands on it to represent 11:10, along with this I have been given 5 words to remember  and then shown a picture of 3 animals.  I had to tell what 3 animals they were and after about 5 minutes asked to repeat back the 5 words.  So far so good, I have been able to complete the test with flying colors.  I never questioned why this test was being given to me but just relied on the fact that since my mother had Alzheimer's that that might be the reason. Low and behold our President Donny, was given the same test, Donny just has Narcissistic Personality Disorder.  Not necessarily Alzheimer's. Anyway, just thought I would throw that in...............for whatever it's worth.

Now, back to the real world. 

I grew up in a traditional Italian family, the only thing making it nontraditional was that I was an only child, an oddity in an Italian family  but totally enjoyable. My dad was the leader of the house, my mom was the assistant leader. My dad earned the money, prepared the budget,  and made all the important decisions. In fact I can still see my dad coming home Friday from work, with a hand full of cash, sitting down at the dining room table, with a shot glass of whiskey and a quart of Rheingold beer, and his 10 or so letter size envelopes, each neatly lettered with what went into them. Household expenses  which included a sub envelope for taxes, food, clothing, and misc. Another for vacations, and entertainment. The last for auto and misc. He would split up his cash and place an alloted amount into each envelope. I never really understood this way of accounting but just took it for granted that they both lived through the depression and just did not trust banks. When they went food shopping, they shopped as though it was the last meal.......always plenty of food to fill two refrigerators or  one refrigerator and one ice box. My mom always made food from scratch, no freezer food or TV dinners, that were beginning to become popular. The funny part about this style of accounting was.............that my mom for many unknown reasons always found a way to monitor and adjust the budget so as to keep a dollar or two and hide it in a band-aid can or neatly rolled up in a small piece of toilet paper, aluminum foil or whatever was around and hide it in amongst her underwear, knowing my dad would never look for anything there. When I went into the service, my mom found a way to send me a couple of dollars to hold me over.............for what I really didn't know, since the military was quit efficient in taking care of me. So the beginning to Vito's accounting system took effect and it still remains in effect to this day. I always have a few extra dollars to towards the extras in  MY life. The other thing so amazing was that before my dad passed on he amazed Margot and I by handing us a 5 figure amound of CASH in small unmarked bills. I felt like a true bagman on my way to Vegas when going through the airport on our way back home, with  my briefcase of stash.  I often ask myself which envelope did this money come out of??  When my dad passed on, we decided to bring my mom out to Seattle, buy a small condo for her near our house. When we went to New York to pick her up we had decided to rent the house to a cousin. In going through the house we discovered some other small unmarked bills........stashed away in old pursers, hems in her dresses, behind pitchers, in old magazines and just about anywhere we looked. AMAZING how this small amount of money that my dad would so meticulously split into envelopes had compounded over the years..................but....................that's the way it was.

It's memories like this that has remain in the back of my mind and over the years have played a part in our living the life we enjoy.  We have never deprived ourselves or our children of anything. To this day, we still live for the happiness of doing what we do best.  Growing old together !!! We still have lunch dates, movie dates, travelling time, casino time, friends to visit and time to laugh about those days in the past. We try not to think about how the world and especially our country is becoming so unrecognizable from when we were  growing up. The crime, the hatred and the disrespect shown to others.....................but..........................we will endure.

See you all soon with more.............................................Vito