Text 23206, 162 rader
Skriven 2009-04-11 19:33:28 av Ruth Haffly (1:396/45.28)
  Kommentar till text 22920 av PETER COGGON (1:123/140)
Ärende: recipes [1/2]
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Hi Peter,


 RH> Sounds like it was not a fun time. I got off light compared to you.

 PC>   I always have to say, that I too got off light, unlike a lot of
 PC> people today who are in a worse situation then I.   My wife says
 PC> to me ..." You are alive ...arn't you?"


One of my favorite lines is "living and breathing; it beats the
alternative"; it fits your situation as well.


 PC> I remember too, you mentioned going to a Retirement Seminar, and I
 PC> did too as...well it was offered, but I had already laid my plans
 PC> and talked to the right folks, so this was just interest to see
 PC> what tripe they could spew forth to those gathered.

It was part of Steve's leaving the mmilitary.  He had a number of
classes, seminars, etc, as well as medical exams to go thru. Most all of
the seminars, etc were geared toward those wanting to seek employment,
not going to school as Steve will be doing.  He did need the medical
exams to see how much disability compensation he's entitled to.

 PC> There were so many things they said there which just mocked what
 PC> many had gone thru and were not in this position to retire.  A
 PC> Union who was not there at retirement for me, never helped me
 PC> once in that area.  And when it was time for legal action between
 PC> this company and I, they stepped in and informed me, all union
 PC> avenues of solution must be attempted before I could go to court,
 PC> which they never allowed.

A royal circus, IOW.


 PC> It was all so funny .... they asked me why I was laughing, and
 PC> I told them if I beleived them and stayed I would be either
 PC> dead on the job, or fired, and in any case dead, and my
 PC> wife would kill me.

Probably took them by surprise.


 PC> But of course you are talking military and I have not that
 PC> experience of a retirement from there, and I hope they are
 PC> fair and just to you.

So far so good.  We're in guest lodging right now, having had our
household packed up.  I had a number of easy do meals left in the
freezer--deliberately to use here so I wouldn't have to do much cooking.
It's helped--the last week has been so tiring that not having to do much
cooking has beennice.

 RH> That's all that matters some days.  Then there are other days when you
 RH> might reach for parsley to add a garnish or do egg in the eye (egg
 RH> cooked in a circle cut out of a slice of bread) instead.  I know both
 RH> feelings--my biggest bug a bear was and still is fatigue.

 PC> Ruth ...and it is hard.  I try to stay away from Bread as much as
 PC> possible even having what I call Brunch.    My supper is at the same

Are you not allowed bread? I usually have some form of it most every
day, usually a whole wheat type.


 PC> hour the
 PC> pets get fed so I can share scrapes and the leftovers go in the
 PC> fridge.

That must be fun.  What sort of pets do you have?  I'm not supposed to
have any because of my asthma but would love to have a cat or dog.

 PC> I like that saying... "Bug a Bear".

That's just my way of saying something is a big bother. (G)  Very
descriptive, isn't it?


 Yes, fatigue in retirement and
 PC> couch potato and all that is a big enemy, as I found out after the
 PC> surgery that put me on my back and I got read what I can not do
 PC> anymore....like they took my fab things to do and ended them and
 PC> I became a spectator.    Only for my wife after 15 plus years did

It's no fun, I know. I had "fun" thngs taken away gradually thru broken
bones and other injuries over the years so I'm more of a spectator now
than a participant.


 PC> I ever don the brand new skates to show her I wasn't what I was
 PC> before.   I had a nice skate, but missing was why ...and some of

We gave away a couple of sets of cross country skis with this pack out.
Much as we would have liked to use them again, our bodies would have
rebelled. So, I know how you are feeling.



 PC> the moves, just never happened, and a fall felt like life rushing by
 PC> and that was it...last time.... that was it...the end.

Steve has basically said that I am not to do any thing that could risk a
fall--no biking, roller skating or whatever.  I've got metal plates &
screws in both wrists and my left elbow from a couple of nasty falls.


 RH> I've never been to Jamacia and would probably look at it with a
 RH> different eye than the average tourist.

 PC> There is an interesting contrast.  rich beautiful estates, and
 PC> then where the property line ends....garbage and dirt and a
 PC> cardboard box home.    Some of the estates there also have roll
 PC> up or down shields against the storms they get....also I think

They do get hit with some strong storms.  We've had to keep an
evacuation kit made up on this assignment and our last one in Hawaii in
case a hurricane came close.  We came close to needing it last fall.
Basically it's food, water, extra clothes, etc that we can grab if we
are threatened by a hurricane and have to leave the area.  Ours included
some MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) as they have a lot of food packed into a
small pouch.  It's the standard field ration for miltary troops.


 RH> Same as Steve never saw me on anything but cross country skis, not
 RH> downhill, which I had to give up (among other things).  I've got metal
 RH> in both wrists and the left elbow.

 PC> Oh I tired skiing once...creamed a tree on the way down.  They thought
 PC> it unque I practiced like this.   It hurt, but the pole was a great
 PC> weapon.   Now I know why the skiiers have them <g>.

I wasn't quite that bad.  Steve took a one day "learn to downhill ski"
package on one of our trips to Berchtesgarten, Germany.  I would have
gone along to laugh at him but was hurting from bronchitis (and an
unknown at the time but found out a few days later, collapsed lung). He
said he was pretty horrendous at it.


 RH> It sounds like she would fit in quite well here.  At last year's
 RH> picnic, Michael brought some different chocolates, including some with
 RH> hot pepper and one with bacon in them.

 PC> mmmm that reminds me of ice cream pizza.   Thanks to BRASIL I am
 PC> off Pizzas.  It was too much.


Ice cream pizza?  That sounds interessting.  We had spaghetti eis (ice
cream) in Germany; I guess Italian food is easy to translate into ice
cream. (G)


---
Catch you later,
Ruth
rchaffly{at}earthlink{dot}net  FIDO 1:396/45.28


... OH NO!  Not ANOTHER learning experience!

--- PPoint 3.01
 * Origin: Sew! That's My Point (1:396/45.28)