Sunday, February 5, 2017

What's Up With Me?

It's funny. I'm retired and have more time in my hands but my blog is still neglected. 'Gotta change that.

What have I been busy with?

For the most part of last year, I've been working as a consultant. Most people are surprised to know that I still work. When they hear my reason, they usually nod their heads in agreement.

A person needs to have something to occupy his mind after retirement. Many retirees I know who just stopped working and staying at home doing nothing are now dead. Living a sedate lifestyle, doing nothing but watch TV or talk with the neighbors will not improve your health and when you're getting along in years, you need to stay healthy to live longer. Also, keeping your mind active keeps your brain healthy. I'm a believer in the adage: "If you don't use it, you'll lose it."

Is working as a consultant the same as working as an employee?

A consultant will know the answer but an employee might not.

As a consultant, I have my own time. I don't have a boss though I have a client. When you have a client, you're more or less at the same level. They can't change what you're doing because the contract says you only work on what you agreed with them. Most of the time, this means I work on only one thing at a time. It's easier to plan and work the plan.

Do I have any new books in the works?

Yes, I'm working on something about public speaking. I'm also working on something about making presentations while creating a seminar about presentations. I hope to start offering the seminar by next month.

Anything else?

Well, my eldest daughter graduated in January last year and is now working. She had planned to work at my old place of work but for some reason, they ignored her application. It's okay because she seems to be happy where she is right now. She's far from home but she's happy, and that's okay.

My mom came over for a vacation here with me last December 22 until January 15, which means she spent Christmas and New Years here with me and my family. This is the first time she's done that and also the first time in a long time that we've spent Christmas and New Year with her.

I also had an opportunity to go to Cabuyao to work on a factory's evaporator. They had a problem and couldn't run so me and three former co-workers went over to help them. I was there from December 27 to 31 and then again from January 3 to 7. I caught a cold and a flu while I was there the second time. On the flight back to CDO, my ears blocked and wouldn't adjust to the pressure during the descent. Nothing I tried worked and it was very painful. I had to suffer from partial deafness for a full day. I went to the doctor and she diagnosed my condition as bronchitis and prescribed antibiotics. It took two weeks to fully recover.

Last January 16, we had a low pressure area (LPA) around Norther Mindanao that brought heavy rains for about six hours or so and caused flooding in many areas around the city. The house is situated on a hill so we were not affected by flooding though water did seep into the house. It was raining so hard that the ground couldn't absorb the water fast enough. The water crept up through the foundations and came out of the convenience outlets. I had to turn off the electricity to prevent electrocution. We had to mop up the floor every few minutes but we managed.

Around four in the afternoon, my youngest daughter called and said their school had released them early due to the flooding in the city. The school wasn't affected but the kids might have difficulty getting home through the flooded streets. My wife and I fetched her and had to wade through the raging currents to get her. On the return leg, we had to take a long detour because the bridge that goes to our subdivision was covered with fast flowing water. When we had passed it earlier, it was not covered yet but in the hour or so that transpired, the water had risen to the level of the top of the bridge. I was still sick at the time and it probably prolonged my recovery.

That's it. I'll have to try harder next time to keep this blog alive.