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As I age (yes, even me) it is hard not to notice certain body parts aren't quite the same. Squatting down to pick up something from a bottom shelf is now accompanied by a few groans as my knees protest. Standing back up takes a focus on the goal of becoming vertical again without help. My energy level starts to run out before the day does, even with an afternoon nap. The barber politely doesn't mention the growing thin patch on the crown of my head as he uses brush and hair dryer to fluff things up a bit. The morning stiffness in my fingers goes away quickly enough, but it didn't even exist a few years ago. Clearly I am aging. Of course, all of us do so from the moment of our birth. But, until the later part of the 5th decade of my life I was able to ignore most of its effects. I used to have a nice career as a management consultant. Then I retired, so aging is what I do now.  What I want to do, is age well. A blog reader sent me an e-mail with a question that made me think

One of my brothers is fast approaching decision time about Social Security and Medicare. While visiting him during our just-concluded RV trip, he asked if I would give him an overview of what his choices are. Not only was I glad to do so, but his questions seemed like an excellent topic for this blog. The questions are paraphrases of his concerns: Question 1: " I want to wait until I am 70 to start receiving monthly Social Security checks. Do I have to notify anyone when I reach my full retirement age?"  Answer: You are allowed to sign up for Social Security three months before  you want to start your benefits. Your first check (actually a direct deposit to your bank account) will not arrive until the fourth month, but that is how the system works. This timing applies whether you want to start at the earliest age of 62, full retirement age (66 for most of us), or any time after that. The size of your monthly check depends not only on earning credits built up during your worki

We will pull into our driveway just about the time this post sees the light of day. After a journey of almost 5,000 miles and 49 days, we have had another memory-filled, relationship-building trip. We added 13 new states to the map on the side of the RV, bringing our total to 32 visited in four years.  The decision about where we go from here with the motorhome will take some time and thought. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy some pictures from the second half of the road trip. The Salt and Pepper Shaker Museum in Gatlinburg - 20,000 sets Bailey after her bath Can you find the dog? Ceiling of Chattanooga Choo Choo Station Chattanooga Aquariums Chattanooga Art Museum We still prefer printed maps, but notice the GPS Legend's Bar in Nashville..huge collection of unusual guitars 6 necks on this beauty! You meet some interesting folks at a bar Inside the massive gardens and water features at Opryland Hotel A 16 mile driving tour between the Union and Confederate lines The stunning rema