Hitting that magical age.


 RETIREMENT... dear Lord. I refer to it as retirement but have seemingly been retired for awhile now it means that in legal terms I have reached that age. come January this year I will be 62, Legal early retirement age...lol.

Have a great deal many plans and things  I would love to accomplish, yet finances may dictate otherwise as Social Security doesn't pay near enough to sustain a certain lifestyle. So between now and then, I guess I have some sorting and planning to do.

Health sure took me by surprise back in 2020 and I have somewhat been floating ever since then. No real accomplishments, plans, etc, save for family, I probably would have said screw it and given in.

Guess we all hit a time when we have to sit, and think of our legacy and remaining life.. Chapters are yet to be written, so we shall see what the future holds.

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"Cruisin Life..

 





Finished off the year 2024 with a nice cruise. Eight full days of sailing from Miami to Curaçao. Went with Carnival cruise lines as we enjoyed the last ship we were on, however this one was not as good. Food kind of sucked a bit, same thing every day, entertainment was really bad. They had some younger folks doing every show, no substitutions at all, same cast and crew every show. Aruba was grand, loved spending the day there, then on to Bonaire which kind of sucked as it was mostly still under development and the sights were minimal, unless you wanted to visit what few souvenir shops there were. Didn't make much sense to me to have spent an entire day there in port with nothing really to offer, but only a few short hours at our final destination which was of course Curacao. Nice day spent there on the beach but alas a much shorter day which was disappointing to me.
 
I think I enjoyed the actual sailing more than the destinations. I love just cruising the sea with the sunshine, a drink and taking in the sights. Would probably take a second cruise with the same destinations but not for a few years as I would like to see Bonaire built up more and having a great deal more to offer, or skipped entirely.

Previous cruise we were on the MSC lines, much bigger ship and offered a great deal more amenities and better drink package. A tad more costly but worth it in the end I think. We also had a balcony suite so that added to the cost. To me it was a more enjoyable cruise all in all.





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Gem in a box..

 


Came across this gem of a photo the other day. Circa 1977. St. Johnsbury Jr. High School (Trade School) for you 'ol timers..lol. Sure did a lot of growing up in them days. Some of the best and worst years. Friendships were formed, dismantled, good times availed as well as a few scraps and clashes in between.

Fond memories though..

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End of another..

 

Well another year and chapter closed. As we bring an end to 2023 I reflect on the many positives and not so positive times and events that shaped the year.  Its been an interesting ride thus far and look forward to 2024 where I am sure there will be many more events and times.

We are not here to be comfortable and coddled for entirety, we have been put here to learn, teach and care for others during our lifetime. Its a matter of what can we do for others comfort and stability.

Daughter in law Lara has taken it upon herself to try and help me gain the Veteran Benefits that have escaped me for 40 years now. I never really felt the need or the inclination to even attempt to find out eligibility for the various benefits. Once discharged I kind of just wanted to put things out of mind and move on without dealing with the bureaucracy that is the VA and its policies, etc. In truth, I just prefer to forget I even served at all, not really being all that proud of that time in my life. But alas, it is appreciative and possibly beneficial for me due to the ongoing health and need for prescriptions and check ups, etc. I have been denied SSI and SSDI thus far and have had no income for over three years now and increased anxiety and urgency for an income of some kind to lessen the burden placed on Deb and the kids.


Long story short, I have applied for health benefits , my Vet ID card other than the designation on my drivers license which still need to be changed over to Florida. So, I intend to ride the benefits train as far as I can or until denied..

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