PECOS BENEDICTINE MONASTERY – Pecos, NM

Posted: January 16, 2018 | Author: | Filed under: geezerTrips, Life Style, My Backyard, New Mexico, Uncategorized | Leave a comment »

The Albuquerque Journal announced that the Pecos Benedictine Monastery was having an open house. I attended and discovered a quiet place to visit. It has about a dozen monks and numerous volunteers. They support themselves by holding retreats and by allowing private retreats. Look at their web page; pecosmonastery.org. Trappist monks bought the place in 1947. It has been transferred to several religious orders since then ending up as the Our Lady of Guadalupe Abbey today.

Our Lady of Guadalupe Abbey at Pecos, NM.

The Abbey is about 20 miles from Santa Fe, NM in the small town of Pecos. The Catholic Church in Pecos dates back to 1862. This is rural Northern, New Mexico, midway between Santa Fe and Las Vegas, NM.

There are numerous guest rooms, several chapels, a library and of course friendly monks. There is a common room with wi-fi and they have the necessary equipment  for retreats.

Double guest room with bath at Our Lady of Guadalupe Abbey

Double guest room with bath at Our Lady of Guadalupe Abbey

The bedrooms are simple, but fancier than what I imagined a monk’s cell to be like; having seen a few in Europe. They have private baths, a desk and a closet. No phones, no TV’s; just the simple basics. This is a monastic place.

The Abbey has 1000 acres; of which about 4o can be planted and used for buildings. That leaves about 960 acres along the Pecos River for contemplation.

Grounds at Our Lady of Guadalupe Abbey.

Grounds at Our Lady of Guadalupe Abbey.

We did not stay overnight; however, if you want to and if you take the AARP discount, it is $67.50 per night and that includes three meals and all the quiet you want. There are common areas with WiFi and each room has a desk. It will be a great place to get caught up on a blog.

It is not for everyone; however, if you are the geezer’s age, overwhelmed by this electronic society, and looking for a new social setting, there is something relaxing about the place.

I couldn’t help but compare it to long-term care facilities that I have visited; and, at some future point, if they would have me, I would much prefer to live at the Abbey, rather than an in-town assisted living  facility. There is plenty to do and it might give some purpose and meaning to the end of life.

Anyway,  you might want to try it; or any monastery. Most take guests, even in Europe, and they are all over, need the money and certainly need volunteers.

An old book that I like is: A Guide to Monastic Guest Houses, 2nd Edition by Robert J. Regalbuto which is available on Amazon.

And, if you are really interested, some of the Refugios that I stayed in when I walked the Camino de Santiago are in monasteries.

THINK OLD!

 

 

AN UNUSUAL, HISTORIC, PUPPET THEATRE IN SICILY!

Posted: January 14, 2018 | Author: | Filed under: geezerTrips, Uncategorized, With Grandchildren | Leave a comment »


Star of Teatro Dei Pupi SicilianiIn Syracuse, Sicily (Italy) I attended a performance at a small puppet theatre; about 30 seats. The performance lasted an hour and was interesting because of the work that went into making the puppets, the skills that the puppeteer need to manipulate the puppets, and the historic nature of the theatre.

It was a simple theatre; wooden seats; small stage; and, the puppeteer came out after the performance. It was in Italian, so my deafness was not a problem. It was one of those out-of-the-way things that makes trips interesting/

This was on a Rick Steves Tour of Sicily and was one of many events that I would not ordinarily come across.

The tour took all the seats. Each puppet was controlled by sticks and each had a person operating it. The puppets were about three feet tall.

If you have grandchildren and room in your bags, there is a shop:

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Shop at the puppet theatre.

There are only a few of these theaters left. If you get a chance, visit one.

For more on these theatres and other locations in Sicily see: Teatro Dei Pupi Siciliani.

ORPHAN TRAINS – 1854-1929

Posted: January 10, 2018 | Author: | Filed under: ESSAYS, geezerTrips, New Mexico, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

I had never heard of “Orphan Trains” until a few years ago when I came across a notice in the Tucson Weekly, a weekly free alternative newspaper. (Wherever you go, pick up a copy of the free alternative papers for the most comprehensive, and unique, happenings in the town you are visiting.) 

Orphan Trains operated between 1854 and 1929 and transported over 200,000 homeless children in New York, NY to every state in the continental United States. The children were often street children, but many were turned over by parents and orphanages. Remember that this was initially a few years after the Irish potato famine and many children hit New York without parents.

The children were loaded onto trains, frequently in the last car, with a woman who supervised them and arranged for their disbursement along the way. Their ages ranged from infancy to about 14; no girls over 12 for fear of sexual exploitation. They had no documentation, not birth certificates and virtually no chance of adoption.

When the trains stopped, locals appeared, either by pre-arrangement or by chance, and selected the child they wanted. They often broke up families.They were necessary to the development of the West and the railroads carried them for free or at a reduced fare.

Alison Moore has documented this in her book Riders On the Orphan Train. She and her husband appeared on February 16, 2014 at the Southern Arizona Transportation Museum in a multi-media show. Something none of us knew about.

Moore puts on shows all across the country. To find out when and where go to: http://www.ridersontheorphantrain.org/

It is worth it, free and will open your eyes to something you had no idea existed. You can also visit the Orphan Train Depot in Concordia, Kansas.

Keep looking for things that might interest you and that are out of your comfort zone.

An article on “Orphan Trains” that might interest you is found in the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

 

A SENIOR’S GREATEST SKILL – THE ABILITY TO MANEUVER – Physically, financially, emotionally!

Posted: January 5, 2018 | Author: | Filed under: AGING, dying, Ideas, Uncategorized | Tags: | Leave a comment »

The ability to maneuver has always been important. Loss of job, illness, lack of education, divorce, death, etc. You always need to be able to maneuver and to change. You need to move on from  and existing condition.

It is never so important as in old age. You are faced with physical problems, financial problems and mortality problems; just to mention a few. You have less and less ability to deal with them, so preparing for them and being able to maneuver through the last years of life is a real gift. You are in a maze.

PHYSICAL: We all die. Getting to death can be a painful, or at least an uncomfortable process, requiring thought, planning and action. You must not smoke, must not get too fat, must head off those disabilities that you can. Think, flu shot, etc. Exercise is the most  important; especially walking which 99% of us can do; and, it doesn’t take much. This will enable you to maneuver in and out of bed, to get to the store, to remain independent. It will also help to prevent falls.

FINANCIAL:  Bills don’t stop in old age. You may have social security and/or a pension and/or some savings, but you still have bills. You need to maneuver around the amount available and the expenditures required. You also need to avoid scammers and family members who have their hands out. You need a clear picture of the end of the tunnel and what you need to get there comfortably, even if it means leaving a little on the table at the end.

EMOTIONAL: Your friends, spouses and family members will die. How will this affect you? They will also develop various mental problems to and including Alzheimer’s. These are tough to deal with and you must be flexible so that you can deal with them.

DEATH: You can prepare for this by letting people know what you want. You want to maneuver yourself into a comfortable position without a lot of pain and a reasonable amount of competence and mobility. There is no point in being propped up in front of a TV for the last few years; you might as well get it over with. You will have to maneuver around a number of well-meaning people; and, some not so well-meaning, but planning can do it. There are more and more end-of-life resources available to old people. Know what they are and how them might be useful to you.

COMPETENCY: This is the tricky one; as you slip into incompetency, whether you call it dementia, senior moment, or whatever, you have more and more difficulty making decisions, remembering things and taking rational actions. This requires advance flexibility. You must have senior algorithms in place to deal with your declining years. If not, you will slip into chaos.

The bottom line is to keep loose, maintain as much flexibility as possible and to the extent possible, as IBM once put it:  THINK!

THINK OLD!

MOE’S BARBECUE – Asheville, NC – An “authentic” Southern BBQ, that has expanded to Albuquerque!

Posted: December 28, 2017 | Author: | Filed under: geezerEats, geezerTrips, My Backyard, Out of my comfort zone!, Uncategorized | Tags: , , | Leave a comment »

When we travel, we try to seek out non-chain places to eat; and, our recent trip to see our son in Waynesville, NC, led us to MOE’s Barbecue in Asheville, NC, for the third time. It is in an old building, near the Biltmore Mansion, with a large gravel parking lot and is always crowded. There are only about 20 tables inside, you order from the counter, and they call out your name when the food is ready. It has always been good, simple and tasty. You bus your own tables.

This time we shared a brisket sandwich with two sides and a drink. Our son had the rib plate with two sides and a drink.  We had to wait for a table and borrowed two chairs for our table. It was out of our comfort zone, but we were with our son who knew of the place and he had taken me there before when I visited.

As usual, I took a few pictures, enjoyed the food and the crowd and thought it would be a good subject for a brief blog post. After lunch,  I  googled Moe’s Barbecue and much to my surprise discovered that even though Asheville is apparently the original Moe’s, it has expanded. The three boys from the University of Alabama, have expanded this Moe’s to  60 Moe’s around the country, including one in Albuquerque that I was not aware of. So, next week, I will start off the new year by eating at Moe’s in Albuquerque, aware that it is a big business that came out of North Carolina.

You can become a franchisee; the franchise office is in Vail, Colorado; or, you can just order a t-shirt and a hat from the retail site.

I will continue seeking  out places out of my comfort zone, but will also check them out.

Trust but verify!

Just because it is a chain, does not mean that it is not good. And, of course, I satisfied myself at the meals there, thinking I was out of my comfort zone, not realizing that there was a Moe’s just a few blocks from me in Albuquerque.

THINK OLD!

LOST DRIVER’S LICENSE – What is an old person to do? Rental Car? Flight ID?

Posted: December 27, 2017 | Author: | Filed under: geezerTips, geezerTrips, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment »

I was headed for North Carolina to visit my son for Christmas. At the Albuquerque Sunport, I went through the TSA Pre line since I had qualified for Global Entry. No problem with my carry-on, but I triggered the security devices several times with my belt, keys, hearing aid batteries, etc. resulting in placing the items in a small plastic bowl. I had not returned my driver’s license to my wallet and laid it on top of the other items in the bowl.

When I got to the hotel in Charlotte, NC, they wanted an ID. I discovered that I did not have my driver’s license; however, the hotel desk clerk, looked at me and waived that requirement, and allowed me to check in. But, I did not have a driver’s license and I had to pick up a rental car the next morning. The evening was spent awake and sorting though every item I travelled with.

The next morning, after searching my belongings in detail, I googled Albuquerque Sunport lost and found. One of the four choices was a phone number for TSA. I called; the license had been turned in late the prior night, The TSA rep. was great. She said that they could FedEx it to me; took my information, credit card number, and the address of the Waynesville Bed and Breakfast where we would be staying.

I wrote down the tracking number she gave me and we headed to the rental car counter. They accepted my wife’s driver’s license and we rented a car.

The next day about 3:00, after tracking my credit card through Memphis, Ashville and Waynesville, it arrived at our Bed and Breakfast. I carefully put it in my wallet; and checked my wallet every few hours.

The FedEx envelope with my driver’s license.

 

Things I learned from my experience and a bit of research:

  1. Watch your identification documents.
  2. Carry your Global Entry Card with you; it can be used for identification at the airport.
  3. Get a police report for lost driver’s licenses.
  4. In NM you can get a temporary license for a lost license on-line if you are under 75 and don’t have any other problems; with me the problem was the age. I missed the 75 cut-off at 77.
  5. Google: “name of airport” + “lost and found.”
  6. Have someone with you who has a valid driver’s license.
  7. Driving without a driver’s license in your possession is a crime, may lead to your arrest and may cause increase in insurance rates.
  8. Have as much documentation as possible to show that you have a license, ie police report, photocopy, insurance card, etc. Have info on your cell phone and you may be able to talk your way out of it.

The big problem will be the car rental company; so, be a member of their frequent renter group, have another driver with you, and  talk to a manager.

Since you are old anyway, it is a good time to rethink alternative forms of transportation.

Public, Uber, friend, spouse, etc.

THINK OLD!

 

TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES, NEW MEXICO – the journey, not the goal, is the goal!

Posted: December 22, 2017 | Author: | Filed under: geezerEats, geezerQuests, geezerTrips, My Backyard, New Mexico | Leave a comment »

Several times a year we drive the 450 miles from Albuquerque, NM to Tucson, AZ to see our grandchildren. The trip takes about 7 1/2 hours, but since we are retired and have extra time, we  explore along the way. In old age, you come to realize that the trip may be as important as the goal.

Between Albuquerque and Tucson, you can find a number of interesting things all in New Mexico and all just off I-25: the Very Large Array Telescopes near Socorro, NM, the Hatch Chile Festival and Sparky’s,  SpacePort America, Elephant Butte Lake, and, usually an overnight stop at the Sierra Grande Lodge and Spa, owned by Ted Turner which in addition to providing an interesting Lodge, also provides tours of Ted Turner’s nearby ranches.

Since I originally wrote this, Spaceport America has restarted tours.

The lobby at Sierra Grande Lodge and Spa in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico.

Spaceport America, near Truth or Consequences, New Mexico

Fire truck at Spaceport America.

In our 70’s the Sierra Grande Lodge gets us out of our comfort zone, which is good, if at times unnerving. I haven’t had bison in 63 years, when I had it at Philmont Scout Ranch, at the end of a 37 day trek at age 14. The restaurant serves bison burgers, bison rib-eye, and if you just want to test the water, 4 ounces of bison steak in a great pasta dish. You can eat indoors or out; the patio is great:

Animas Creek Pasta With Bison

 

Outdoor Patio – Restaurant at Sierra Grande Lodge.

The Lodge, like many other places in T or C has it’s own hot springs. There are indoor spas and an outdoor one. The naturally  hot water has made T or C a destination for a thousand years. It used to be called Hot Springs, NM until it won a 1950 radio show contest hosted by  Ralph Edwards, and changed its name.

We like the outdoor spa; private but open to the stars. In our 70’s we are out of our comfort zone for nude bathing; and it may even be pornographic, but a half-hour soak removes a lot of age-related soreness and is included in the price of your room.

 

Outdoor Hot Springs Spa at Sierra Grande Lodge, Truth or Consequences, NM

 

Outdoor hot springs spa as Sierra Grande Lodge.

Next time you travel to see your grandkids, look around you, take your time, and try to get out of your “old” comfort zone. You may learn something new.

The point is; especially at your age, you should be interested in the journey, not the END of the journey.

THINK OLD!

 

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TEN geezerTIPS – TRIP TO PANAMA

Posted: December 20, 2017 | Author: | Filed under: geezerTips, geezerTrips, Uncategorized | Leave a comment »

I went to Panama on a Road Scholar trip. The trip includes tours of Panama City, a boat trip through the Panama Canal, and a train ride back, a chance to see how the new locks work and the chance to experience Panama. There are 10 things that made my trip easier. Fifty-five years ago, when hitchhiking through Europe, I had no money, few needs, and a lot of self-assurance. Today, at 77 I am a bit more careful, not looking for surprises, and aware of my age. So…

  1. No tips. Road Scholar is all-inclusive except for a few meals. I hate to worry  about tipping.
  2. Health care. Get insurance. The real problem will be if you have to be shipped home; dead or alive. The cost for transferring your sick body  back to the US can be debilitating, and may bankrupt you. If you do decide to permanently leave while abroad, consider cremation. Consider the insurance offered by the program and also look to your credit card.
  3. Get the American Embassy contact information. Know if there are any problems and know where to go for help.
  4. Take a Kindle or better an i-pad with kindle books downloaded on it. You can also adjust the size of the type. Books are heavy and a thousand plus books, including guide books, can be uploaded on a Kindle and new books ordered from your library or from Amazon while abroad.  You are too old to be lifting books.
  5. Check your debit and credit cards and notify the card companies before you leave. You don’t want them denying your charges.
  6. Take two money belts. One from Eagle Creek to hold your pants up and to hold your money; and one to hold your passports, information, money and credit cards.
  7. Think simple and minimal. Jeans are usually fine. Wear them and take a light weight pair of pants that you can wash and use if you have to dress up. See what Road Scholar suggests. Suitcase. Rick Steves’ Rolling Carry-on.
  8. Wear walking shoes. Take yoga shoes/slippers for the hotel, etc.
  9. Light weight underwear that can be washed, or dropped off at a cleaners for a few bucks.
  10. Know a few practical things about Panama. They use dollars, have ATMs, English spoken in addition to Spanish, no visa required, jeans are fine.

You can really reduce your needs by packing like the  geezer does for the beach.

THINK OLD?

LIBRARIES – 8 things for the older (and other) traveller

Posted: December 18, 2017 | Author: | Filed under: geezerTrips, Out of my comfort zone!, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Every town has a library. When you travel, a library can be your best friend. You can find:

  1. Information about the town you are in.
  2. Wi-Fi
  3. A bookstore that will sell books that the library no longer wants or which have been donated for as little as $1 for hardback and 25 cents for paperbacks, many of them recent best-sellers.
  4. Frequently they have cafes where you can get a coffee and food.
  5. They have computers that you can use.
  6. They have interesting programs and sometime trips for anyone who is interested.
  7. Local and national magazines; see what is going on in town and read the NY  Times and the Wall Street Journal.
  8. And, finally there is a huge magazine rack with the latest magazines; most of which you don’t get, and which take you out of your comfort zone.

SHOULD THE GEEZER BE A PRISONER?

Posted: December 15, 2017 | Author: | Filed under: AGING, COPING, geezerAdapts, Out of my comfort zone!, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »
Prison may be an alternative to life on the street for old people.

A photo of where the geezer might spend his last years. Better than the street???

The geezer asks for admission to the Federal Prison system.

The geezer seeks bank support for admission to the Federal Prison system.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the US there are 26,200 prisoners over 65 in state and federal prisons and 124,400 over the age of 55.

The geezer, who is 75, and an “opportunist” is thinking outside the box; or perhaps ‘inside the box.” If I have no money, little social security, no home, no assets, no family; and  have to line up at the soup kitchen for meals and the free street clinic for medical care, maybe there is another way.

At 75, what do I need? My sex life is a thing of the past; there is no one to take care of me, I am frequently wet and cold; I am regularly exposed to every type of riffraff; and, can no longer fight off street predators.  How can I  live out my days in some comfort, be warm, eat regularly, and have  adequate medical and dental care?

The answer is to rob a bank.

The sentence seems to be 10 years plus an extra 5 years if you have a gun. I need to check to see if the gun has to be loaded; wouldn’t want to hurt anyone. The 15 years takes me to 90 which is about my  life expectancy  on a good day and I don’t have to0 many of  them. If I got in a fight or two,  I can avoid good time.

The big problem is that I might get probation since I don’t have a record; so, I might have to rob the same bank twice; or, even three times.

Given the economic and social future of the elderly, prison doesn’t sound too bad; and, it can’t be worse than a nursing home; even if I qualified. If you can’t pay, Medicaid is the only answer. Assisted living is out of the question without money or long-term care insurance.

There is probably a downside, but I am having trouble seeing it.

The food can’t be worse than most senior institutions. If I have a room(cell)mate, he would probably be about my age. I would probably be in some sort of minimum security facility, but, given the gun I might be in a maximum security facility.  The friends I would make would probably be better than the ones on the street.

Would I be safe? Probably. I am sure that most Federal Prisons take care of old people; albeit, reluctantly. There are work programs in most institutions and perhaps I could care for other old people if I couldn’t get assigned to the library. Win-win.

The New York Times has an article on California state prisons that have caregivers called ” gold coats.” These are inmates, usually murderers, who in exchange for a “gold coat,” and other privileges, look after the elderly; especially those with dementia. They protect them from the other prisoners, get them food, make sure they don’t fall; and, in general act as highly trained caregivers. They sound better than some in nursing homes I have visited.

Do I want to go this route? I suppose it depends on how cold and hungry I get; and, if I am competent to rob a bank when the time comes.

Or, maybe it would just be cheaper and better to move all of us old prisoners and “Gold Coats” to the “abandoned” military bases where they are keeping illegal immigrants.

THINK OLD!

 

 

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