What's this about?

 I had a birthday recently. I hit 55! I have obviously passed the milestone birthdays of 21, 30, 40, and 50. 21 wasn't a big deal because I don't drink. I probably had a pizza and a Mountain Dew to celebrate. 40 was a nice little party with coworkers at Texas Roadhouse in Toledo. 50 happened during Covid. It was me, my fiancé and kids at home. 

For 55, Kraus' Pizza and a Mountain Dew. 

I am now over a week past my 55th Birthday and I have thought about it more than the others. 

I will go over the reasons in detail in future blog posts. 

But for starters:

  • I envision retiring at 65. That's "only" ten years away! I started a new job in June of 2025. I had been looking, applying, and interviewing for jobs for the last 7 years or so. 
  • Interviewing for jobs as someone who is "up there" in career age vs. someone out of college is a challenge. 
  • Both of my parents passed away. Dad in 2009. Mom in 2017. I think about them, especially Mom, everyday. Both were around 80.....so the 55 number is not that far off. 
  • Relating to my parents passing away, they both battled health issues. Mom was a breast cancer survivor, suffered from high blood pressure, and had a stroke in 2017, from which passed away from in December of 2017. Dad was overweight and was diagnosed with diabetes in his early 70s before he died from cardiac arrest at 80. I feel the pressure of staying healthy. I drink one 12 ounce Mountain Dew a day, have potato chips every other day but other than that, I think I eat fairly well. 
  • I got divorced from my first wife when I was 38. My ex was diagnosed as being paranoid schizophrenic. It took me a long time to get over what I experienced with her. Eventually, I dated again. It took me long enough to find the one to settle down with.....my current wife, Kim, who I married on New Year's Eve in 2023. Prior to Kim, I was on the market for about a decade. Trying to date as a single guy with no kids was extremely hard. I'm serious! More on that later.
  • Relating to marriage, I married someone with kids. Now having a teenager in today's world is crazy! 
  • I long for much simpler times...pre-internet and cellphones. 
I can't wait to share more as I journey through the 50s. 

Thank you for reading! 
Dave





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