I’m Your Huckleberry in General
- April 2, 2025, 9:32 a.m.
- |
- Public
RIP Val Kilmer.
Well, one of many things I need to do is done. I applied for Social Security and printed everything out.
It was a bit of a challenge as I have moved dozens of times in my lifetime and while I am good at keeping some records my record keeping has been haphazard at best.
Dates I am not great at, so it required a lot of digging. The whole application process was not difficult – although I started yesterday. Apparently, the servers kept crashing due to high demand.
I restarted the process this morning at 4am when I thought there might be slightly less demand.
Good plan.
I’m out from work until Monday – suddenly I have plenty of PTO when I don’t have to hold on to sick time for the rest of the year.
Monday I will have to have a sit down with the boss. I’m giving them until August to find replacements for me and the other three planners – and if it comes down to it I can give them a little more time.
Truth is I have become abundantly aware that my remaining time on this mortal coil is running out. And I don’t want to spend my days staring at monitors and trying to figure out the vagaries of the latest change in management philosophy.
I’ve already cancelled the two extra mortgage payments each month. I will bankroll those for a cushion.
I’m figuring to hold on to the condo for a couple of years, sell it. Buy a Class C recreational vehicle. And go see the sights.
God help me if I somehow or another live into my late 80s. Because I would be totally screwed.
Talking to dad last night he mentioned that I could move back in with them. I think he’s looking ahead to when my parents are gone, and my sister is still living in that house. My sister is not great at basic home maintenance. So, it sounds like dad’s plan is to have me there to take care of those type of tasks.
That might end up being how it works out. After a couple of years on the road.
I guess we’ll see. Val Kilmer passing away kind of reminded me. The first Top Gun movie back in the 80s inspired an entire generation of naval aviators. No one who went up in that line of work from the 80s through the 90s say they weren’t affected by that movie. Talk about a great recruiting tool!
Rest in peace, Iceman.
Last updated 6 days ago
gattaca ⋅ 6 days ago
Val Kilmer was 65. I'm 69. This bothers me. Cosmically, it's an eyeblink. i'm not planning on hanging around into my 80s either.
Rick Rossovich (Slider) is 67 and going strong. What determines longevity?
Duke gattaca ⋅ 6 days ago (edited 6 days ago)
Edited
I'd guess it's genetics. My parents are well into their 80s; 3 of 4 of my grandparents made into their late 80s. My maternal grandfather passed in his early 70s - but he was a chain smoking, hard drinking Irishman who probably ate bacon with every meal (you can't do that!)
I'm somewhat amazed I am not long dead. 24 years in the military, exposed to every kind of fuel and solvent known to man (you could taste JP-5 in the drinking water on the boat - dirty secret - water and JP-8 have different specific gravity so they are stored in the same tanks. Genius who can up with that plan didn't take into account the rocking and rolling of the boat!), constantly exposed to electromagnetic and ionizing radiation. Going up to "Pri-Fly" primary flight on an aircraft carrier you walked right under the high-powered Air Search radars. You could taste the saliva in your mouth ionizing.
While Val wasn't really a F-14 pilot - cancer got him. A lot of F-14 pilots are dying of cancer - they sat feet behind the AWG-9 - the second highest powered airborne radar (the first being the MIG-25 radar that could cook a rabbit on the runway if stupid enough to get in front of one).
So. Genetics, I guess.
gattaca Duke ⋅ 6 days ago
10KW, >10GHz. Good God. (I looked it up).