Delayed Trip

One of the realities of being retired after a productive but demanding career has been too much discretionary time.  I did a lot better as an employee where somebody set tasks for me and created my work schedule than I did as an independent practitioner where I set the schedule.  I have very few times recently when I have to be in this place at this time doing that.  If I did not create tasks and deadlines I might be so fundamentally lazy as to not do much.  But I have an exercise schedule that I have maintained with observable benefit to my well-being.  Shabbos arrives at the time the Chabad calendar says.  Come next month, I expect to have scheduled classes at the Osher Institute of the University of Delaware.

Making my own schedule has been challenging.  I do not want to be like my patients on Medicare whose life's highlight often seemed to be their doctors' appointments.  I arrange a series of trips, mostly day trips to museums or places not far away that I've not been to before.  This year I went to see The Mummers Parade on New Years Day.  This morning it had been my intent to drive the four hours or so to the Pennsylvania State University where I have never been before, staying two nights at a hotel.  To my great disappointment, the weatherman indicates two days of heavy rain or wintry mix starting tomorrow and continuing to my drive home, so as much as I'd like to escape my house for a short while, traveling it drier weather seems more compatible with being a tourist.   I had the good sense to get a cancellable reservation and will reschedule shortly, hopefully for next week.