Like most of us, I recently had my “medicare” birthday (in early September), and have spent more than the usual amount of time lately catching up on doctor’s appointments and taking care of lots of minor ailments that I put off fixing until I got my new insurance. Suffice it to say that, in general, I’m feeling pretty bullish for the future!
My wife of nearly 17 years, Marsha (3 years my junior) is not quite so well these days, and we expect that she may have a hip replacement sometime in early 2014. The theory is that by next spring we’ll be back to our regimen of hiking in the desert, climbing the local peaks, and supporting the old standby, “Grow old along with me, the best is yet to be.” Meanwhile our 4 children and their spouses and our 7 grandchildren seem all to be quite happy and prospering.
We are both still very much working… Marsha as VP of a budding medical device company (see www.lifebot.us) and me as a free-lance voiceover guy, emcee, and occasional TV commercial actor. See one of my latest: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LapaGwWdxTY (Preview)
Hint: I’m the gray haired golfer who almost shows up late for his tee time. That spot has been running here in AZ for 2+ years, is often featured on the CBS Sunday Morning show, and actually ran in a local break in last year’s Super Bowl! It’s recently been renewed for another 2 years, and I’ve got a check to prove it!
When we can, Marsha and I try to get on the airlines and visit our widely dispersed family and old friends. This past July I spent a few days in the Eastern Sierras at Mammoth Lakes, CA escaping the heat of Phoenix and visiting with my youngest brother Gary and his wife Karilyn, who were hosting my elderly Mom and my Step-Dad Bill (87 and 91 respectively). We also remain close to Wayne and Sue Trivelpiece. They visited with us in May and we just took a 4-day weekend in mid-October to visit them in northern CA at their recently purchased “retirement home” in Bolinas, CA, a small beach town located about 10 miles straight north of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. Their 10-acre property abuts the Point Reyes National Seashore, and is covered with dense forest and 100+ year old live oak trees. It was a great, relaxing time together with some of our favorite people.
I’ve attached a couple of photos from that visit. (In the one of Marsha and me together, the house in the background actually was once owned by Gracie Slick of Jefferson Starship.)
Meanwhile, we continue to put one foot in front of the other each day. After all these years I am currently learning to play the guitar, Marsha will start Spanish lessons soon, and we are also trying to make a plan to shed a couple of houses we never intended to own for this many years, thereby reaping enough financial rewards to do more kicking back and world traveling in our “emeritus” days.
Hope all is well at your house…
Jim Myers
