I’m doing fine – I just haven’t felt like writing. Maybe it’s because I’ve had more time than usual with friends, so I’ve done a LOT of talking, so that’s a good thing, I guess.
I have more photos from the lake from a couple of weeks ago and a whole new post about going to the beach and making some new friends, so I’ll edit those photos and post separate posts.
^^^From Yum Yum, a hot dog and ice cream institution on UNCG’s campus.
We got out a bit and visited a hemp store in downtown Greensboro, where we bought several kinds of Delta 8 and have been sampling them since. It affects us in different ways. I wanted something to help me sleep. Sandy wanted to get high, legally. The edibles have been a disappointment for him – he seems to thoroughly metabolize the gummies and tincture. He bought a couple of big “joints” which do the trick but they are much too harsh on his lungs, which are compromised from his polymyositis. I don’t want to smoke anything at all and these stink up the house just like pot – I HATE THAT SMELL. So that’s out. The edibles make me high and really all I want to do is go to sleep. I will try lower doses. I am amazed that this is legal in North Carolina.
The same night we ate out on the patio at the Bourbon Bowl, with a rare mixed drink for Sandy. The motto “Eat Drink Roll” should have clued me in, but I guess I must have had sushi on my mind. Anyway, it turns out that there are six bowling lanes in the back. Next time I go I will sit at the bar, order a White Russian, and be on the lookout for Sam Elliott.
Food and drinks are so expensive now that even if we didn’t have to worry about getting sick we can’t afford to go out much. We’ve eaten on the patio at Cafe Europa a couple of times.
^^^Our friend William Hicks was playing music at a private party outside a cool shop next door.
Good news about my brother-in-law. His scan last week showed that the chemo is working to greatly reduce his abdominal tumors and the cancer has not spread. The doctors said that this treatment was only effective 15% of the time on this kind of cancer, so we had been braced for bad news.
I came to a firm decision to retire at 62 unless something significant changes. I don’t need a lot to live on, and my financial advisor at work says that it is doable. In anticipation of this, I started putting more into my Roth IRA so that I can both save for this goal and see if I can live on less. I am just too burnt out to continue here much longer. I may get a part time or temp job after I retire. My therapist agrees that it is a good decision. Sandy is talking about moving to Portugal again. We are definitely traveling to Portugal in May – that money is mostly spent.
And Sandy finally closed on selling the condo. He sold it cheap, as is, but at least it is done. He invested the money into his retirement account. I really believe that we will be fine. He also spent a little over $2000 in repairs on the 2007 Volvo. Turned out that it needed some major work, but we agreed that it would be cheaper to do the work than to make car payments, and we really do like the car.
slowly she turned 