Sign of the Apocalypse?

Barbara is in Port A for a couple of days of beach-watching, book-reading, and sea food-eating. I declined the invitation to go with her because I needed to work and I simply didn't have a burning desire to go this time.

So I'm at the office, merrily working away and I hear the little "beedle-eep" that indicates Rob has initiated an on-line chat with me in Google mail. Only, it's not Rob - it's Barbara, who wandered into an Internet cafe in Port A and chatted me so she could share the moment. Whoa!

Google chat is really neat; we discovered in Peru that distance is no object - you can pop up family and friends with ease wherever you are. Where was this really cool feature when Julie's family was in the Czech Republic? And I'm always telling Mom about conversations I have had (actually I just email her a copy of the chat that Google kindly provides for me).

So the other day we set her account up with the chat feature (and Rob really wondered about two people who would sit in the same house and chat each other over their respective computers) and today, the woman who avails herself of only as much technology as she can possibly get by with, popped up a chat session from an Internet cafe.

Sweet!

Why I like retirement

Question: How many days in a week?
Answer: 6 Saturdays, 1 Sunday

Question: When is a retiree's bedtime?
Answer: Three hours after he falls asleep on the couch.

Question: How many retirees to change a light bulb?
Answer: Only one, but it might take all day.

Question: What's the biggest gripe of retirees?
Answer: There is not enough time to get everything done.

Question: Why don't retirees mind being called Seniors?
Answer: The term comes with a 10% discount.

Question: Among retirees what is considered formal attire?
Answer: Tied shoes.

Question: Why do retirees count pennies?
Answer: They are the only ones who have the time.

Question: Why are retirees so slow to clean out the basement, attic or garage?
Answer: They know that as soon as they do, one of their adult kids will want to store stuff there.

Question: What do retirees call a long lunch?
Answer: Normal.

Question: What is the best way to describe retirement?
Answer: The never ending Coffee Break.

Question: What's the biggest advantage of going back to school as a retiree?
Answer: If you cut classes, no one calls your parents.

Question: Why does a retiree often say he doesn't miss work, but misses the people he used to work with?
Answer: He is too polite to tell the whole truth.

And, my very favorite...
QUESTION: What do you do all week?
Answer: Monday through Friday, NOTHING..... Saturday & Sunday, I rest.

Got my 21-year pin, uh, card today.

On the inside it says,

"Makes you appreciate the card, huh?"

She insisted that I put the lights up...

I know, I know. This is really not a picture of my house, but it speaks volumes to my attitude toward holiday decorations. Maybe that's why Rob said "Thought of you" when he sent me the picture.

Hotel Senorial

Our hotel in Lima was nice; located in the Miraflores section of Peru, well-hidden from the bus driver, it opened on a courtyard with most rooms surrounding that area. Some rooms, like ours, were in a back portion of the hotel, but we had a wonderful view of the back gate.


If you look closely at the picture above, you can see that the dining area was a sheltered outdoor pavilion. Since the temperatures don't vary that much in coastal Lima and it never rains (mists, yes; rains, no) an outdoor area is quite pleasant. Adorning the walls of this dining area are names and comments from groups that have stayed there. If you are diligent, you might even run across the name of someone you know, or a group you are familiar with, such as the Woodland Oaks church of Christ.


Most of the graffiti is just black magic marker, but here and there you can find works of art. Well, works that took longer to draw than others. Like the flags below:


Or the mountain drawing.


Or even the Olive Branch group that was here in the summer for the VBS at the Community.

And how long did it take to work this one out?


I guess, when all the white space is covered, they just paint over and start again.