Diary of a Mad Retiree

When I took my wife to the airport early Wednesday morning for her trip to Cancun - where she reports she spends the day laying by the pool sipping every kind of tropical drink she can lay her hand on and getting massages while I clean up cat vomit and diarrhea, I figured maybe I would spend some time hanging out at home trying to finish "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest" so I could begin the new LeCarre novel. But NOOOO! Trying to match her mini-vacation is turning into as frenzied a period as I've seen all year.

Right now I'm getting ready to leave (I'll have to finish this post when I get back home - if I get back home later) to head up to Harlem where a chapter leader has asked me to be the guest speaker at his union meeting- during all 3 lunch hours which go from 10:30- 2. I'm supposed to talk about the attacks on public school teachers and what we can do about it. I'm just going to tell them to retire. Actually, I have no idea what I'm going to tell them - if anyone actually shows up. I'm not sure people want to give up their lunch hours to listen to me so I'm bringing a book if no one shows. I'll report back on how it went.

From there I have to head back downtown to drop off the stack of cards with every chapter leader in the city - a stack I paid $10 for from the UFT during the elections last year. They make sure not to give you an electronic version, mind you - on purpose of course - but hard copy. But a teacher organization is interested in the info for outreach purposes and has offered to put the names into a spreadsheet. I am glad to get them out of my basement.

Then it's off to Peter Lamphere's fundraiser at 6 in Brooklyn. I wrote about how important this case is and connects to a defense of LIFO:  Support Bronx High School of Science Teacher Harassment Law Suit.

And then surprise of surprises, my wife's cousin Danny called and has an extra ticket for tonight's Knick-Lakers game, my first Knick game in about 10 years. Danny is 27 years old, good looking and single - he joked about dragging me along after the game for fun and frolic. That will be a good excuse for grandpa to head home for some sleep to wake up in time to head to Williamsburg for a weekend of film editing.

Later, I'll go into more detail about my other 4 "mini-vacation" days.

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