Retirement activity | Easin' Along

A Blogger Needs a Writing Desk

Posted on April 15, 2016April 15, 2016 by Easin' Along

I love my man cave. Everything I need is in here—comfy chair, man-size HDTV, large desk, sound system, big windows, you name it, I have it…or at least I thought I did. A few months back however, I discovered I was one piece of furniture short.

My disk is situated so that the television is to my back in order to avoid being distracted when I am working at the computer. I may have the television on if I’m just web surfing, but if I need to focus intensely, I usually have music playing in the background as I noted in an earlier post of Easin’ Along.

Around the first of this year I had a project (can’t remember what) that was simple enough even for me, a one-ball juggler. I reasoned that I could handle whatever it was that I needed to do and still watch football at the same time. I moved a folding table into the man cave and set it up in front of the television and began multi-tasking. In my mind, this was a temporary set-up and the table would disappear as soon as it had served its purpose.

After the project was completed I noticed that the “temporary” table had assumed a life of its own. Suddenly the table became a handy resting place for a few extra papers. My camera also had found a home there while waiting for the next batch of blog pictures to be downloaded. I found that it was more comfortable reading the newspaper while facing the television instead to turning to my right as I was doing now. Removing the temporary table was getting more difficult and ultimately I waved the white flag and admitted that I needed another piece of furniture in my beloved man cave.

Fully aware that Helen (adorable wife) was not going to tolerate a Sam’s Club folding table sitting out in plain view on a permanent basis, I put it away and went looking for an acceptable replacement.

I was also aware that furniture is expensive, and since I’m too tight to buy something new, I began to scour the thrift shops and flea markets periodically in search of a two foot by four foot writing table…with character. It wasn’t easy. I found one table advertised on Craigslist that was in an indoor flea market on the south side of town, but it just didn’t have the right “vibe”. Eventually I settled for a table I found in the Habitat for Humanity Thrift Store that was the right size and came in within my price range…$25.

This table functioned well, but the top was supported by legs that crossed in the middle rather than by the usual four legs and it was unstable. It rocked back and forth a little when writing on it. Also, the legs robbed me of the space I used for a small footstool that I had become very accustomed to having. This table would do in a pinch, but I remained in the market for something else.

I continued to resist the idea of buying something new, but I had exhausted the available thrift stores and decided to visit a store that sells unfinished wood furniture. There it was. The table was exactly two by four and very solidly made. The only problem was that the table had a price tag of over $200…couldn’t force myself to do it. Man, I’m tight.

As we all know, we’re living in the digital age, and there are lots of shopping options out there so when I got back to my computer, I searched Amazon for an unfinished wooden writing table…bingo. The very same table I had just walked away from was listed on Amazon for $100 with free shipping. Admittedly, I was going to have to assemble and finish it, but, what the heck, I’m just an old retired guy, and this would be the perfect retirement activity. I pulled the trigger and the table was delivered to my front door in three days.

In our previous home I had a wood shop in our basement and I had done some wood refinishing in the past and really enjoyed it. My favorite project was refinishing a solid wood picnic table that my brother-in-law no longer wanted but is now one of my most prized possessions. I was eagerly looking forward to taking on another project and the garage would have to be my wood shop for a few days.

Assembling the table was no big deal in that it only required the attachment of four legs using eight nuts, eight washers and eight lock washers. This took less than five minutes.

There was no need to sand the table–it was as smooth as glass. According to the paperwork that came with the product, it was made in Viet Nam from the wood of the rubber tree.

Before staining, I applied a coat of Pre-stain conditioner to help the wood absorb the stain more evenly. I learned about the necessity for conditioning when I tried to stain some window trim once without it and the wood ended up looking like a piece of marble with big streaks running through it. The conditioner dries in about fifteen minutes. It was time to apply the first coat of stain.

The furniture in the man cave is a dark shade of red so I chose a stain that I hoped would get me close and picked MinWax Sedona Red. I apply stain with a cloth rather than a brush because it seems to go a little faster and I have more control of a rag than I do with a brush. I used a Q-tip for the tight inside corners. Rubber gloves are essential for this task or else your hands will be stained for several weeks.

Each coat of stain requires about three hours to dry before applying another coat. I used three coats for this table to get it near to the color of my desk, and although I couldn’t get a perfect match, I was able to get it close enough to avoid a clash.

Stain - three coats — Stain – three coats

I let the final stain coat dry overnight before I coated the table with polyurethane. Again, I chose a MinWax product in a clear semi-gloss. I like the glossier coatings over the satin because the finish is a little harder. For this application, I used a china bristle brush and applied in long, even, brush strokes. Polyurethane takes about three to four hours per coat to dry and a little light sanding between each coat to prepare the surface for adhesion. I do this with sanding sponges in a 220 (fine) grit. After two coats, I decided to apply one more coat to the table top only since the legs and sideboards were fine. This meant that the final coat would be applied the next day.

Polyurethane - first coat — Polyurethane – first coat

Finally, three days after arrival, I had a new writing table resting comfortably in the man cave with my footstool underneath where it belongs. I hope you enjoy the pictures of my latest project. Let me hear about some of your projects in the comments section below.

Every blogger needs a good writing table and every retiree needs good activity. With both of my needs fulfilled for now, I’ll be Easin’ Along.

Fun

Blues on a Sunday Afternoon

Posted on April 8, 2016May 5, 2020 by Easin' Along

One of the unexpected surprises of retirement has been my decision to fill some of the available time with music. It’s surprising because music, like math, is not something that comes easily to me. I can’t write music, I don’t read music and I definitely can’t sing music, but, in the past, I have derived great pleasure from listening to music. Upon entering retirement however, I soon realized that music has value beyond being just sound projected from a car radio.

While sitting at my computer in the man cave and crafting eloquent blog posts for Easin’ Along, I discovered early on that it’s a lot easier to concentrate if easy listening, or light classical music is playing in the background instead of Sports Center or cable news. Soon I was digging out a number of CD’s from a large box that had been stored in the attic and playing them on a decade-old CD player that I connected to a Bose Radio. Being cursed with a somewhat obsessive personality, I next found myself pouring through the racks of a used CD store searching for more melodies to marinate the man cave. A new retirement activity had suddenly, and surprisingly, been born.

Equally surprising was that I discovered that my preferences for different types of music was wider in range than I had thought previously. I have a very large collection of 60’s and 70’s music on my MP3 player that I listen to when I work out at the YMCA. This has been my usual “go to” form in the past. Now however, good Mozart piece stirs me on occasion. I am fond of classic country music, and I LOVE Bluegrass.

Thanks to the satellite radio in Freddie (my car) I have recently tuned in to 70’s folk music, bluegrass gospel, and even some disco. It’s been fun and I’m certain that I will explore some more forms as I dig a little deeper into the CD stack and move further down the radio dial.

I know what I don’t like too. That list includes the music I don’t understand like hip-hop, new age, or rap. I’ve never been a fan of hard rock or heavy metal.

About a week ago I received an email from a friend who was promoting a concert of Blues music being given by the Smoky Mountain Blues Society on the following Sunday afternoon. My only other exposure to the Blues had been a trip with some friends last year to the Juke Joint Festival in Clarksdale, Mississippi which I enjoyed very much. In trying to decide if I really wanted to go, I thought, “why not”, for once a concert was being held before my bedtime…I bought a ticket.

*Blues singer – Juke Joint Festival, Clarksdale, MS*

The concert was held in an old building that had been converted into an entertainment venue in a revitalized part of town. There were about 125 people in attendance of all ages including a 30-something young lady who danced throughout the entire concert. She obviously had some professional experience and paused just long enough to take the picture shared below.

The Golden State Lone Star Blues Revue is composed of five gentlemen, several of whom are award winning blues musicians. Mark Hummel is the lead singer and blues harpist (harmonica). He is joined in the group by guitarists “Little Charlie” Baty and Anson Funderburgh. R.W. Grigsby plays bass, and Wes Starr plays the drums (a note of interest is that he holds the drumstick in his left hand between his index and middle finger).

Wes Star, Drum

Together they are sensational and Mark has to be one of the most accomplished blues harpists in the world. He can flat out play. Little Charley’s guitar rips were amazing and brought out thunderous applause from the crowd. Anson’s play was equally as good. Mark Hummel describes the group’s trademark sound as “Texas meets California meets Chicago”.

The afternoon was truly delightful and the Smoky Mountain Blues Society is to be commended for getting them to make a stop as they were on their way north from Atlanta. During a break I was able to speak to Mark for a minute and he told me that he makes his home in Castro Valley, California, but spends a lot of time on tour. He was gracious enough to sign a couple of CD’s for me and let me take his picture. R.W. Grigsby signed them as well.

The concert flew by, but I have posted several pictures here as well as a short video of their performance in the side margin of the home page. Please take the time to view it, the guitar solos are well worth the effort. I have also posted a five minute video of the concert on the Easin’ Along YouTube channel which features solo rips of several of the band members as well as Mark’s excellent harmonica solos. Be sure to increase the video to full screen size.

I’ll be Easin’ Along now, but a musical afternoon like this proved to me once again that when music and retirement come together, the outcome quite often produces great harmony.

Fun

Easin’ Along Enjoys Some Music for the Eyes

Posted on April 1, 2016October 29, 2016 by Easin' Along

As noted in an earlier post of Easin’ Along, I have a new camera. I purchased it for two reasons. The first was that I wanted a new learning activity as I entered retirement, and second, I wanted to capture the beauty of the mountains, lakes, foliage, and flowers that surround us in this blessed valley. I still have a LOT to learn but, with spring busting out all over the place, I grabbed my new camera to photograph this colorful bounty…and brag a little. Here’s what I mean by that.

I’m always bragging about the East Tennessee springtime to friends and family who are not fortunate to live where I do. Tennessee in the early spring is lush, it’s green, it’s colorful, and it’s that abundance of colorful flowers, trees, and shrubs that I brag about. Nevertheless, as the late Hall of Fame pitcher, Dizzy Dean, once said, “If you can do it, it ain’t braggin’”. Tennessee does spring very well.

Even the hardest of souls have to admit to casting a prolonged and admiring glance at the beauty that surrounds us this time of year. Admittedly, spring is short here compared to the fall where cooler temperatures and colorful foliage can linger long but, sadly, spring seems to arrive suddenly, and depart almost as quickly. For that reason, I wanted to Ease Along some of the roads through this abundance of color because it appears to be “peak week” in East Tennessee.

Please know that this is not going to be a lesson in botany. In fact, I had to get Helen (adorable wife) and a couple of friends to help me identify several of the flowering trees, shrubs, and wildflowers in these pictures, and even with help, I’m not certain that I’m 100% correct on some of them. Nevertheless, this has been another learning experience, and, one of the guiding principles of Easin’ Along is that we’re NEVER too old to learn.

It should also be noted that, with the exception of one shrub and one wildflower, all of the pictures shown here and in the Picture Gallery that follows this post were taken in a two day period. I should point out that this is just a small sampling of the incredible display we have witnessed so far. Yeah, I’m bragging again, but hopefully the pictures that follow will prove that I can back it up.

Please come with me and let’s enjoy this delightful spring symphony together.

The first things that anyone driving into Tennessee sees this time of year are the flowering trees and, in this annual concert, I always think of the trees as the trumpets blaring away loudly to herald the arrival of the season.

The redbuds that line our interstate highways are among the first welcome signs that greet visitors to our state. Fortunately they thrive here and are plentiful. I needed no help to identify them; they’re like a string of purple neon lights, and are especially bright this year.

The dogwoods seem to be equally beautiful this year as well. Our dogwoods were hit by blight in years past, and the blight is still with us, but it seems that we have turned the corner on the disease, and have also planted some resistant trees to help in that effort. The effort has paid off handsomely.

There are a number of flowering trees that bloom in marvelous harmony with the redbuds and the dogwoods which is what makes this concert so divine. Within just a few miles of my home are weeping cherries, tulip poplars, crabapple, Bradford pears, and all are equally resplendent in dazzling color. A few are shown here and a few more in the picture gallery.

Flowering shrubs are another instrument in our orchestra. I liken them to the woodwinds, playing along in harmony, but strong enough to hold their own.

At this point in the season, we are nearing the end of the Camellia blooms, but they still are doing their best to remain a vibrant part of the ensemble. Camellias are always in danger of frost damage, and we had a few to suffer in early March

Those that have survived, or were covered during cold snaps, are as special as always. I was able to capture some in full bloom.

Forsythia is in full flower. I found a location where some of the double-blooming varieties were planted and, as I was driving to them, I could see them from a half mile away. These bright yellow beauties had been planted under a large, bloomed-out, Bradford pear and together they made quite the couple.

The azaleas are just getting warmed up for the big show in a next few weeks, but I spotted several that are receiving plenty of morning sun and seemed eager to play a few notes for me. The weather forecast calls for both rain and warmer temperatures over the next week and that should serve them well.

The flowering shrubs are shown here and in the Gallery. Included among the shrubs is a stunning purplish-red Lorapetalum…my treat.

In this orchestra flowers are the strings adding richness and depth to the music.

In early spring we get the blooms of the bulbs. Some of the early daffodils have bloomed and returned to the soil as have the crocus, but we have a great many varieties of daffodils here and the blooming season for many them is still underway or yet to begin. I photographed a few of them that I consider unique.

We have tulips galore. I had to refrain from taking pictures of them or else I would have exhausted the capacity of my hard drive. Tulips are my favorite bulb. I still have an endless number of slides of tulips from a trip Helen and I made to Holland many years ago. The fascinating thing to me about tulips is that once you think you have seen every color, here comes another. I even saw some black tulips once.

In addition to the bulbs, we have pansies everywhere – radiant as always. With warmer weather in the offing, I’m not sure how much longer we will have them, but they’re fun.

Phlox are flowers too, and we can’t forget to mention them. I found several colors and had to make sure everyone gets a peek at them.

You gotta love string music.

Let’s carry our musical metaphor a little further. We know we still have a few more days to enjoy the concert but we’re ready to let the power of this performance marinate in our bones for a while. We’re still in the mood for music, but it’s late, so we venture over to a cozy piano bar that fits our mood and offers a few softer pieces.

For us, that cozy piano bar is a walk among the wildflowers.

While working on this post for Easin’ Along my adorable wife suggested that we drive up to Norris Dam, site of a recent trip shared here, and enjoy the wildflower walk that takes place there every spring. It was a splendid suggestion.

Wildflower walkin' — **Wildflower walkin’**

Norris Dam is about a thirty minute drive from our home. We crossed the Dam and turned down a side road as directed by a small sign. There were a few cars in the small parking lot and a larger sign bearing a map that depicted the route. We walked around a barricade and followed an old paved road down toward the Clinch River, then turned left and walked through a picnic area no longer in use. We heard the first note from the piano.

To our left along the trail were bright yellow Trout lilies…then a few more…and a few more. Trout lilies were everywhere, both low along the trail, and high on the hillside and rocky bluff that hung over the road.

We walked slowly, not wanting to miss a thing. That piano kept playing as it cranked out a few old favorites like Yellow Trillium, Pink Columbine, and Spring Beauty. There were a number of big hits too including Twin Leaf, Foam Flower, and Wild Phlox. We even saw some Squaw Root.

We walked for over two hours and decided it was about time to leave our charming little piano bar when we spotted some Red Wake-robin’s, a trillium, in the same area as several patches of Purple Phacelia. There were Bloodroot there too which I really love and consider a sighting a rare treat.

Walking back to the car, the tunes kept coming, but there were a few we couldn’t identify. Helen took a picture of one flower and sent it to a friend who is a wildflower encyclopedia for her to take a stab at its identity. The answer came back pretty quickly and the flower was identified as Dentara or “tooth wort”. The mystery was solved.

One other tune remains unidentified and is pictured here. I’m asking Easin’ along readers for help to “Name That Tune (or wildflower)”. This wildflower is only about three inches tall with blooms and leaves protruding from a central stalk. Our friend suggested that it might be a member orchid family. There are other indentified shrubs and flowers in the Picture Gallery so help me if you can. Good luck with it. If someone can identify any of them, I’ll post the names on the Easin’ Along Facebook page.

One additional thing…our Dandelions even look good this time of the year.

For now I’ll be Easin’ Along myself. All of this music has put a little “Spring” in my step.