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Celebration, Certification and Caves
It is true; I am now retired and have begun traveling.
Celebrations:
My first travel begins with celebrations.
- Although not a far drive…Thursday night June 29th, after “work” saw many of us “pre-retirees” gathered at 300 Magellan. It was a great get together and I was unable to buy myself a drink.
- A fun time was had by all, what a great send off!
- Some, who retired earlier in the year, and others, who retired a few years before, came out to wish us well.
- On Friday, our official last day at work, I grabbed my last free cup of coffee and turned in my badge and work computer. It was official; I was retired.
- After going home briefly, I left town for St. Louis for additional celebrations with my in-laws.
- Yes, I spent my first night of retirement celebrating with my in-laws who took me out to a great dinner in St. Louis.
Webster Groves had the start of their local 4th of July celebration on Saturday near the in-laws and we saw a few good bands at the bandstand on Saturday. A good celebration.
- On Monday, after traveling to Arkansas on Sunday, I went
out to eat and celebrate retirement with my mom and sister at the Marketplace Grill. It was fun and tasty. Especially the desert we shared with my mom!
Certification:
The point of my travels back to St. Louis was to complete the Spinning® Instructor Certification class that was cancelled the month before on the biking, shooting and drinking trip.
- This month the class ran as scheduled from 8:30 AM until 5:30 PM Saturday with 30 minutes for lunch and 2 one hour Spins® included. A great day.
- After the class, I did manage a swim in their Olympic pool.
- Received my certificate after passing the on-line exam once I got back in town.
- I guess I have to apply for a job now…
Caves:
Since I was in St. Louis, I thought I would continue the celebration tour and visit my mom who is in Arkansas. She turned double snowmen this year and is doing great. On the way I stopped at Meramec Caverns in Sullivan, Missouri.
- I enjoyed seeing the Jesse James hideout and walking and exploring the caverns.
- The entire area was flooded earlier this year and water shut down the entire cavern for a week. Wow! Water is crazy.
The caverns are a great sight to see if you are driving along highway 44 near St. Louis—year around it is 58 degrees in the caverns. I wore a sweatshirt to keep warm. The tour moved us along and we walked for about 90 minutes underground.
Closings:
I returned on Thursday night (July 6) in time to close on our long time residence in Kentucky and move to a new (right size) home nearby. All went well on Friday and we moved into our new home on Tuesday of the following week.
Contemplation:
While on the road, I listened to a fun book on my drive: The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax .
- The unexpected part for me is that it had a great retirement question at the beginning of the story. A doctor asks Mrs. Pollifax: Isn’t there something you have always longed to do? Something you have never had the time or the freedom for until now?
- The doctor adds that it is terribly important for everyone at any age to live to his full potential, otherwise a kind of dry rot sets in. I thought that was great retirement advice.
- Spoiler alert, Mrs. Pollifax does have something she has always wanted to do, instead of living the sensible life she has created. Her response: when growing up she planned to become a spy!
- I recommend reading the book and pondering the questions she answered. I am still working on my answers.
As a part of the visit, I asked “How do you do this retirement thing?”
- My brother-in law, who has been retired for a few years, said to find something to do that you love. He also noted that it changes. He began a business and is now making plans to give up the part time vocation in favor of other ventures.
- My sister works for a bike trail organization; she said she needed to work once her husband retired to stay active. The key for her is finding the balance of time at home and at work.
I did go for a 42.5 mile bike ride with my sister on Monday (July 3) on the Razorback Greenway and went for a mile swim on Tuesday as it was raining all day on the fourth of July. I left Wednesday and I think she was pleased to take a day off of the activity.
Trip by the numbers:
Travel days: Friday, June 30, through Thursday, July 6, and Saturday, July 8, all by car (1700 miles all in).
First sinkhole, noticed by me, on the way to St. Louis in Indiana at the Nancy Hanks Rest Area on highway 64.
Activity statistics:
- Biking miles: 95.8 miles, 4 rides, longest 42.5 miles.
- Swimming: 1.5 miles
- Trumpet playing at Webster Gardens with their brass group at the 8 AM service and at Abby and Andrew’s wedding.
- Disc Golf in Kentucky while moving. Too much rain on the trip to make it work while on the road.
States visited: Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas.
Biking, Shooting and Drinking in St. Louis
Last July, Kim went to visit her parents and had what we now refer to in the family as the St. Louis biking, shooting and drinking trip. Our daughter Sarah went on the same trip in April along with Kim’s brother, minus the biking.
For my pre-retirement/birthday trip it was time for me to go biking, shooting and drinking in St. Louis. Kim and I have ridden with the Bike MS team for several years and are behind in our miles ridden this year. Our biking portion was a ride from the in-law’s home to Grant’s trail.
On a few mornings we saw several of the Budweiser Clydesdales out grazing at Grant’s Farm along the trail.
Safety first.
My father in law Butch invited me to go to the shooting range for the shooting portion of my pre-retirement travels. He is currently qualified on the range and was an instructor for his fellow police officers. I took advantage of the safety briefing, about an hour, and the shooting at the range, along with another briefing on firearm safety. I eventually shot a 357 magnum, and the gun has a kick. My memory is seeing the flames shoot out of that gun as it was fired.
Many of you who know me well are surprised at the drinking aspect of the trip. Of course, if you know Kim, you are even more surprised. Here is how it went down… Still enjoying a great weather day in St. Louis, we went out to lunch in the Soulard area of St. Louis at a place called Hammerstone’s.
We ate out on the porch area in the shade and enjoyed a great taste of St. Louis. Kim had the toasted raviolis and that was a treat. Pat and Butch shared a meal; they apparently eat less as they do not bike the same way Kim and I do and we enjoyed ourselves.
After lunch we toured the famous Anheuser-Busch brewery. Yes, they still provide free samples as a part of the tour. We saw more Budweiser Clydesdales out enjoying the day. The tour was interesting; the samples were great! (Drinking!) Yes—I did the sampling of the beer and it was good. Kim passed this time as it was my drinking tour.
After the brewery tour we had to stop at the St. Louis icon Ted Drewes. I had the concrete and Kim and Pat had the hot fudge. It was good and we did not have any left over. Butch does not like Ted Drewes but still drove us to get our treat.
As part of the fun in St. Louis we went out to the Hill for a visit with some friends and relatives also in town for the same high school graduation. The restaurant, chosen by one of Butch’s brothers, was Rigazzi’s. You can see the small glass in front of Kim’s uncle (more drinking?). It was great for them to connect. Who knew retirement was so active!
Of course we went to St. Louis after Memorial Day to see my niece graduate from high school. The ceremony went really well and it was great to see her graduate. We stayed until Sunday to attend the graduation party, another day for friends and family (yes, more drinking). It was great to visit and be a part of the celebration.
As a part of the visit I asked “How do the In-laws do this retirement thing?”
Butch exclaimed they get all of the same things done in retirement that they have always done. Just not in the same hurry or the same day. Sure enough, he spent some time every day working on a project on his deck that is still not complete. Now, I do not think he was trying to prove a lifestyle point, I believe he was just doing what he does. He is one of the most optimistic guys you could meet. He is quick with a smile and always says hello.
Other highlights:
We had Imo’s pizza and took a walk to Webster University where I received my MBA. The campus has grown.
Yes–we did our bike ride in Webster University bike shirts–so it was only fitting to walk over to the campus.
A few lessons learned.
- Butch: Be optimistic. Take it slow, it will be there tomorrow and you are no longer on the clock.
- Pat (mother-in-law): Enjoy the time, be with friends and family.
- Natalie —now a senior in college, giving advice to her sister entering college: It is all about relationships. When the semester begins, go to the professor’s office on the first day of class and introduce yourself, be social. Know what you want and go for it.
Trip by the numbers:
Travel days: Tuesday, May 30, 2017, Sunday, June 04, 2017, all by car (350 miles one way)
Activity statistics:
- Biking miles: 54.8 miles, 3 rides, longest 20 miles.
- Hiking/Walking 19.9 miles, 10 separate walks in neighborhoods, longest 4 miles.
- Trumpet playing at Webster Gardens with their brass group at the 8 AM service
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Retirement Travel with Glen 