Another Day, Another Sixty-Seven Cents

At just past noon yesterday, Saturday, my day off, here's what I had done during the day up to that point:

• Shared a riddle I got from a nine-year-old;
• Stroked a blind Basset;
• Bought a bag of fresh-picked mixed salad greens and a bag of freshly-hulled fresh peas;
• Happened to hear the Beatles, Dylan, and the Stones on the radio in the car, like nothing at all has changed in fifty years;
• Made a Packers joke to a retired player for the New England Patriots, who did not think I was amusing in the least;
• Contributed to an Alzheimer's organization;
• In different places, met the wives of not one but two Mennonite men I happen to know, both of whom I have heard about for several years but had never met before; and
• Had a conversation about diet with an intelligent itinerant peddler of elixirs named Candace, from whom I bought a bottle of Turmeric Tonic. It's made up the road in Geneva by an outfit called Finger Lakes Harvest. But really, anything called a "tonic" that's not hair tonic or tonic water ought to be sold out of the back of a Conestoga wagon.

All that was due to the fact that on Saturday mornings in the Summer I make a circuit to the farmer's market in Penn Yan and then to The Windmill. I love the Finger Lakes....

However, all that was then trumped* by an email I got yesterday afternoon from PayPal:

...Gave me a big grin. Just like old times! (That follows up from this post, in case you haven't been reading along.)

I heard from Wendell. After years of good health, he tells me he's suffered a series of health setbacks, but he's adjusting and getting along. He ended on a light note by telling me this mini-story. "I have a friend of over 60 years who's a songwriter and performer from Savannah, Georgia," he said. "He’s had a bunch of health issues over recent years and when we check in with each other over the phone our opening topic is naturally our lists of ailments. The last time I called him I immediately asked him how he was doing and his reply was, 'you know, I feel much better since I’ve given up all hope.' I get a chuckle out of that every time I think of it."

I got another chuckle too. According to H&R Block in its report on my return last year, I pay 33% of my income in taxes, so instead of saying "another day, another dollar," I like to say "another day, another 67 cents." (You know, like old guys say things only they think are funny.) By coincidence, after the PayPal fees were subtracted from Wendell's dollar, exactly 67¢ was left over. Made me laugh.

And so it goes. It's another glorious day here, so I'm going outside to cut some grass.

Mike

*Sorry.

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Comments

[Michael Hill]

A good day by any measure ... all the best!

[Stan B.]

2 things I've learned thus far:

1) youth = hope
2) aging = death by a thousand cuts

[Tim Key]

What was the answer to the riddle please?

[Rob Griffin]

Ha ha! I love Wendell’s friend’s line about giving up all hope. Going along with Wendell’s golf story, I have said for years when asked about my golf game, I have a lot more fun since I gave up all expectations.

[Speed]

Gotcha beat. I went outside and cut down a tree today.

I've learned that there are three phases to landscaping: Planting it. Making it grow. Cutting it down.

What we're never told early on is that most of the trees and shrubs we plant, even with regular pruning, become unruly or unsightly or dead and need to be removed. And trees are the worst because when they get too old or too big or dead we have to pay somebody some serious money to remove them leaving an ugly hole in our yard.

On the other hand, yesterday I made a surprisingly good photograph of a rose.

[Andrew-Bede Allsop]

I think I know the answer to the riddle but don’t want to spoil it for others so I will say nothing here. Can you please give the answer? Thanks.

[Dan Khong]

I did 10 things last Sunday and felt more rested at the end of the day. That's because all 10 were trivial pursuits. I can omit one or all without feeling guilty.

Stress and burn out come from responsibilities and in trying to fulfill expectations.