Back from Texas

I'm back from Texas. Arrived last night at 6:30pm. Picked up Shorty from our friends Molly and Kevin. I always find myself reminiscing about places I've been to almost as soon as I get back. It's as if my body thinks it's still there. Or is it my mind?

Had a good conversation with my father-in-law on the way to the airport. As usual, the conversation turned to retirement and relevant subjects such as savings. At 63, my father-in-law is looking to retire in the next few years. Busing the busybody that I naturally am, I pried a little into his affairs asking him if he considered various ways to adjust to living on retirement. For example, living on less now, so that retirement isn't such a shock. He replied no, and asked him how he would be able to do that. I told him that one way would be to document all the fixed expenses and focus on minimizing them. I told him it would be hard because what we want to do and what we are willing to do are two different things. We talked about this for a little while and then switched topics to something not quite so personal. In the end, I realized that we have two different perspectives and how he chooses to live his life is his own.

Today's partial lyrics: "Happiness hit her like a train on a track, Coming towards her stuck still no turning back"

Snowstorms

Last night, I found myself driving head first into a snowstorm. 9pm and with visibility close to zero, I struggled to keep up with the tractor trailer in front of me. His red brake lights were all I had to know where the road was. It was unnerving at best, and I wondered if my taking classes an hour and half away was worth the extra safety risk.

Times like these make me question my decisions. I can be a bit foolhardy sometimes, and my mercurial temperament can make way to some not so good decisions. But it's also times like these that give me confidence.