We had a serious talk this morning, and we have decided that we both must return to work because being retired is tiring! We thought we would have time on our hands, but from sunup (6am) to sundown (11pm) we are constantly busy doing something!
Here are some funny retirement trivia bits:
- Retirement is the only job where you can be late, do nothing all day, and still feel like you earned a break.
- Many retirees say they are busier than ever — mostly because every “quick errand” now becomes a full-day expedition.
- The most common retirement mystery: “How did I ever have time to work?”
- Naps stop being “lazy” and become “strategic energy management.”
- The official retirement uniform is whatever you were already wearing when you decided not to go anywhere.
- “I’ll do it tomorrow” becomes a lifestyle, not procrastination.
- Retirement is when your calendar finally clears up — and then doctors, dentists, and lunch plans immediately take it over.
- The best part of being retired: no alarm clock. The weird part: you still wake up early anyway.
- Retirement means never having to fake being busy — unless your spouse asks what you did all day.
- A retiree’s favorite meeting is one that was canceled before it was ever scheduled.
After our coffee, we called our son Joe with two messages! One – Thank you for fixing our large door. Two – If you ever set the Alexa alarm to go off at 3:00 am, we will get even!!
We blasted off around 10:30 am and went to get some petrol, and the car does not run well on fumes. From there, we went to the dry cleaners to drop off my latest accident, and then finally to the Elks!
We met up with everyone but missed Capps (home supervising repairmen) and Zaitz (picking up an old-fashioned medicine cabinet for Donna’s bathroom). While we were there, we made reservations for Halloween at the Elks! Our table now has the Kuhns, Liles, Zaitz, Dudas, and Adams. We notified the others and hope they join us!
I went off the reservation and attacked a large hamburger. Mary was, as expected, a good girl and had soup and salad! The burger was excellent, and it promised me NOT to show up on the bathroom scale!
We soon departed the Elks after checking the latest flyers. We headed home to relax before leaving again for tonight’s entertainment. We gave a small gift to one of the Elks’ employees, and today she gave us some homemade tamales. Mary and I agree on the saying, “Do unto others as you want to be done unto!”
After Girls’ Night Out at the Elks, we went home and rested for two hours because we had a big night planned ahead! We are going to the Muck! The Muck?
Here are some interesting facts about The Muck!
- The Muckenthaler home is now known as the Muckenthaler Cultural Center, often simply called “The Muck.”
- It was built in 1924 as a private family mansion for Walter and Adella Muckenthaler.
- The house is a Spanish Colonial Revival-style mansion, with classic features like stucco walls, red tile roofing, arches, and elegant courtyards.
- The mansion has about 18 rooms and sits on a hilltop property of roughly 8.5 acres in Fullerton.
- The Muckenthaler family was part of Fullerton’s early wealthy agricultural and business community, connected to the area’s citrus-era prosperity.
- In 1965, the Muckenthaler family donated the estate to the City of Fullerton to be used as a cultural center.
- Today, it hosts art exhibits, concerts, theater performances, festivals, classes, weddings, and community events.
- The site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, recognizing its architectural and historical importance.
- Locals often consider it one of Fullerton’s hidden gems because it feels like a historic estate tucked into a residential neighborhood.
- Its hilltop location gives parts of the property a scenic view over Fullerton and north Orange County.
- The Muckenthaler is also known for outdoor summer concerts and cultural programming, including jazz, folk, Latin, classical, and world music events.
- Because of its historic look, gardens, and courtyards, it is a popular location for weddings and photography.
We got to our seats as the guys were doing their sound checks, and they were somewhat serious! We opened up the picnic basket and set the table! Mary thought of everything!
We got to talking about Jim’s service station creation for Bob’s party, and I could not resist; ChatGPT, here I come! The result was terrific!
Vicky got perfect seats in Row #3, meaning we were right across from the stage, no looking up or down! We had our own table, which was perfect for setting up dinner.
Other friends were on our right. Larry and Sandy are from Starlighters and have been friends for years. They live about three miles from us! I could not resist!!
I introduced Mary to the Alley Cats several years ago, and we do NOT miss a performance when they are in the area. Mary fixed a wonderful dinner, and we even had a tablecloth and decorative pumpkins to commemorate the season. Turkey sandwiches, grapes, strawberries, a protein bar, and of course, WINE!!
Royce the Voice was on stage tonight even though he is battling MS; he came to sit in for another bassman who was in the hospital! It was good to see Royce.
The guys got wound up, and so did Mary! You go, girl!!!
Between the songs and the humor, we had a wonderful evening. Food, friends, wine, and song; life is good!
I first saw the Alley Cats in July 1987, three months after their first performance. Here is some trivia about them!
- The Alley Cats are known for performing 1950s and early 1960s doo-wop music with tight vocal harmonies and comedy mixed into their shows.
- They perform mostly a cappella, meaning they rely on their voices rather than a full band.
- Their style is inspired by classic vocal groups like The Coasters, The Drifters, Dion and the Belmonts, The Marcels, and The Penguins.
- The group is especially known for songs such as “Barbara Ann,” “Blue Moon,” “Sh-Boom,” “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” and other oldies favorites.
- They are often recognized for wearing retro-style outfits, sometimes including bowling shirts or vintage-inspired costumes.
- The Alley Cats became popular at theme parks, fairs, corporate events, cruise ships, theaters, and performing arts centers.
- They have performed at Disneyland, where doo-wop and barbershop-style vocal groups have long been popular entertainment.
- Their shows usually include not just music, but also humor, audience interaction, and nostalgic storytelling.
- The group’s name, “The Alley Cats,” fits the old-school street-corner singing image associated with doo-wop.
- Doo-wop itself began largely in urban neighborhoods, where young singers would harmonize on street corners, in hallways, and subway stations because of the natural echo.
- The Alley Cats help keep doo-wop alive for modern audiences, introducing younger listeners to the sound of the rock-and-roll vocal harmony era.
- They are sometimes described as a mix of doo-wop concert, comedy act, and nostalgic oldies revue.
At halftime, I wandered into the theater area.
We torpedoed Jim because when the guys asked for volunteers, seven of us jumped up and down, pointing to poor Jim. Being good sports, we went on stage and gave the guys some voice lessons.
Jim gave it his all!
He did well!
After the show, we headed home via the 91 freeway and walked into the house at 10:28 pm. The temperature was cool, so we decided to crash!
