Dear Grandpa

 

Dear Grandpa,

I meant to check in with you on your birthday but somehow, time got away from me. It's funny stating it in that way as if time is something you can hold on to or imprison. It isn't. It is a free spirit, full of will, free to come and go as it pleases. Nevertheless, I'm here now.

I find that the older I get, the more mannerisms of yours I adopt. When I was younger, I did not understand why you still remained active so many years after you retired. Although I have not retired from working, I get it. Being active made you happy. It gave you a way of being useful and kept you from getting bored.

This morning, I went for a long walk. The sun was out. The breeze was nice. These past few times, I've been driving the car to the nearby supermarket. The Shop Rite is set up similar to the store you knew as Kroger. I park the car, then take my walk from there. I just prefer the visual appeal of the area more than starting from my house. There weren't too many people out. It's my preference, similar to you.

Gas prices are still outrageous, although slightly cheaper than when I last put gas in the car. When it was put in previously, I paid $4.99/gal. When I went to the gas station this morning, it was $4.87/gal. I know it doesn't seem much, but every little cent helps. Food costs are still nuts too. It still boggles my mind that items that were one price last year or even earlier this year are up to $1.00 more than what I'm used to paying. One example is the 24-pack bottles of water I purchase. When they are on sale, I tend to pay $3.99 with the regular price being $4.99. Now, the sale price is $4.99 with the regular price being $5.69. 

One of my old high school classmates made a statement, just paraphrasing, "If you are complaining about the cost of gas, it means you must work harder." However, people who are making plenty of money are complaining about gas prices, so to me, the statement did not have much merit. People who have plenty of money still don't want to spend extra money for items that are considered necessities, like gas to put in a vehicle to get to work and food. Heck, even underwear and socks are more expensive in this climate.

It does make me thankful that telework (think: be at the house working and getting paid) did get offered where I work. I don't see gas prices declining anytime soon, so it is a plus to only have to go on-site three days a week instead of five, beginning next month. It is different from what it was when we had to work from home at the start of the pandemic because before, I had to use my own computer to access my workstation. This time, I have my own work laptop, along with an additional mouse, keyboard, and monitor. They even included a headset. The only downside is on bad weather days, if my Internet access is still active or I haven't lost power (and it's a day that I telework), then I can't take that day off or claim I was impacted due to an emergency closing. For me, that's a small drawback.

On a brighter note, I did send Mom a birthday card. We have interacted more but it has been difficult because of the three-hour time difference. When I'm up, she's not. When she's up, I'm not. You know what they say ... small steps count as steps.

It's cool that Juneteenth and Father's Day ended up on the same day this year. My workplace was closed on Friday to observe the holiday as well as the schools. However, it looks like the banks decided to observe it on Monday. If I venture out later today, I may wear my Juneteenth shirt. If not, I can always rock it for tomorrow.

On another note, I did try to give the new owner of the rental property a chance. Not saying the person isn't decent, but he reminds me of someone who's juggling too much. It definitely was the sign I needed that my instinct to make moves for next year was on point. Like, I am all for individuals acquiring properties to improve them to make passive income, but you also have to invest in the properties equally. This property is one of his newest, but he is still trying to make renovations on other properties he bought while trying to look into getting another one.

Like you, I can't stand it when stuff is done haphazardly. If you know you don't have the time to do it, pay someone to do the job or don't start the job in the first place. 

As much as I like the space of a house, I wouldn't mind being in a more modern spot, even if it costs more. With the car almost paid off, it will free up income I can put toward rent. I say rent because I don't think I want to own a home here. Property taxes are outrageous, and for me, since I don't have any children, it doesn't make much sense.

Happy Heavenly Father's Day. I love you and miss you.