Week 48

I have to go to Boston in January, so I booked a hotel. As I was booking at the Omni, I noticed that those age 55 or older received a discounted fare. Gulp. I went ahead and signed up. I might as well get something out of this.

A few days later, I was in an irrigation supply store, looking for a piece of piping I need for the back yard. It was the day before Thanksgiving and the crotchety old fellow behind the counter was complaining because someone owed him a thousand dollars, and he was not showing up as expected. I commiserated, secretly wondering what it would be like to be waiting on a thousand dollars. He found the piece I needed, but I would have to buy it with the complete elbow assembly. I only needed the top piece. He eyed me up and down and said if I were over 49 I could get the senior discount. I don't think there really was a senior discount, but he could tell by looking at me that I wasn't there to throw money away. At $25, I reckoned it was still too expensive. The guy nodded.

He said he took advantage of senior discounts all the time. "You can get a McDonald's coffee for 58 cents." I didn't know that. "Best deal on the street. It ain't Starbucks, but it is still decent coffee."

Getting old isn't that bad if you can get paid for it.

Clean as a whistle. Go Darien.