Tagged

Mostly I’m not too fond of being tagged, but this exercise isn’t too bad.

The Rules:

1. First, post these rules.
2. Post 8 random facts about yourself.
3. Write a blogspot about those facts.
(Actually, I’m not sure I see the difference between #2 and #3).
4. Tag and name 8 more bloggers.
5. Tell them that they’re tagged at their blog.

But I’m going to ignore #4 and #5. If you’re reading my blog, and would like to do this, consider yourself tagged. If you’d rather not, feel no obligation.


Eight Random Facts About Me

1. Occupation: Before I retired, for 37 1/2 years I earned my living as a high school teacher. For 37 of those years I taught at the same school, Lodi High. I taught English, art, ceramics, and English as a Second Language - mostly English and English as a second language. I loved teaching, because I was never bored while the students were there. It was always an exciting experience to go to work. I retired at age 61, for health reasons - but teaching was becoming so restrictive (teach this lesson, this way, at this time - and if any student doesn’t learn well you are liable to be sued) that I felt a little relieved to quit. My average work day as a teacher was about 12 hours long, and I generally put in another six or ten hours during each weekend.

2. Retirement: I love being retired. The two best things about retirement are that I can go to the bathroom any time I feel the urge, and that I am no longer exhausted (I’d been exhausted for most of my life from the time I entered college to the day of my retirement). Now I can take naps!

3. Marriage: I was married for 25 years. I’ve only been married once, though Bill went on to his third marriage immediately after our painful but amicable divorce. Bill died last year, so now I don’t know whether I am a divorcee or a widow.

4. Family: I have one daughter, who is intelligent, hard working, and has a loving heart. She is married, and lives in New Zealand with her husband and my granddaughter, who just turned one. I also have two middle-aged step sons. The older, Will, lives in the midwest and I rarely hear from or see him or his wife and girls. The younger, Ron, lives a little over an hour from me. He has a wonderful wife and four intelligent and delightful children, whom I am privileged to see more frequently. I have a wonderful sister who is a lawyer in Connecticut.

5. Parents: My mother died May 8, peacefully in her sleep, at age 86. She is survived by my stepdad, Larry, with whom I eat out 4, 5, or 6 times a week. My father is still alive at age 90, in Lancaster, California, and he and his wife Audrey go out dancing once or twice a week. Dad says he doesn’t need his walker when he’s dancing, because he can lean on his partner.

6. Pets: I have one cat and one dog. The dog, Jet, is an outdoor dog, a black lab, mainly. The cat, Piddles, is an indoor cat, a calico, who sleeps with me at night, sits on my lap when I’m at the computer, and hides when company comes. Piddles is doing her best to coat my house and all its contents with cat hair.

7. Home: I live in the country, in a semi-rural area between Lodi and Stockton, California. I’m a terrible house keeper. My house is always a mess, and I honestly have no interest in cleaning it. But if I know you are coming to visit me I’ll clear a path so that you can come in, sit down, and go to the bathroom if needed. If you’d like to stay over night, we can manage that too - I have a mattress leaning against the wall in my guest room, even though I no longer have a bed to put it on.

8. Life style: Sedentary. I stand and walk from computer to bathroom to couch. I turn the pages in books. I lift small paint brushes. I push buttons on the television remote. That concludes the list of exercises I do daily.