That is a good question, and the answer is working my ass of in the new job. I had day of 10 and 12 hours which makes for a very tired and grumpy blogger brain in need of rest.
The joke is that I am spending and unholy amount of time in Nashville which proves the old adage “Men make plans and God Laughs.” However, my opinion of Nashville as a Rhinestone Frisco has not changed and now, I have to add to that mix that driving in Davidson County tests your patience like nothing else. Hyperaggressive drivers and streets that appeared to be paved by mortar rounds make me longer for being stuck in the Palmetto Expressway on a Friday afternoon…. without A/C. I had one asshole a couple of days ago tailgating me and doing all the stupid hand signs indicating his wanting me to move out of his way while I was on the extreme right lane of I-65. You dumb fuck, where do you want me to go? The shoulder? He was obviously ignored.
My old neighborhood has obviously changed since I was there almost 40 years ago. It is fully gentrified and “hypsterized” which is not unexpected as it is surrounded by the universities and the Vandy Industrial Medical Complex.
One last thing: College students still use backpacks to carry their stuff like we did, but this new male iteration look like dorks carrying while using both straps and both shoulders. One or both straps on the non-dominant shoulder is the standard unless you are in a war zone, and you are carrying 100 pounds of gear in it plus a rifle across the chest.
Old Fart Rant Off/
Old men: Why is my back all messed up?
Also old men: The proper way to carry a backpack for years on end is over one shoulder only!
😀
Take care on your new job and keep track of the hours, no-one is paying you for burnout.
Old men: since when does hair grow in my ears? I feel like a hedge.
Driving with normal blood pressure is a challenge every where… tailgaters? I drive slower.. on multi lane roads cruise control goes off and foot off the throttle, get slowed down enough and they figure it out. Its another example of how dumb people have become.
So I take it the new job is going well but the drive sucks, which is true around any city. My approach not too long ago in that situation was to switch to Indy car mode but now since I passed the mid-sixty mark I switch to the ‘Old Man with a Hat’ mode, but that’s only when driving the SUV. Backpacks I wear every day at work during training sessions. Been that way for almost fifteen years, and I reckon it will help keep me in shape until….it doesn’t—skeleton has to breakdown at one point or another, however my fathers didn’t until he was 93. So, who knows.
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I’m still trying to figure out what it means to “Grow Old Gracefully My Son.” Stay strong Miguel.
This scene comes to mind.
https://youtu.be/I4uFhSRF9sw?si=E06M6-E0mWwnZDf2