When we started the "Retirement Coach blog" I tried to lay out a few things I felt were required for a happy retirement. Family was a very important element.
Last week Amy and I flew to Huntsville, Alabama to visit one third of our family. We were able to see my daughter, Linn McAuliffe and and my step-daughter Amanda.
The first two nights we stayed with Linn and her husband Bob. They have two great little girls by the names of Mary Ellen and Emma Grace McAuliffe.
For Saturday night we went to Tuscumbia, Alabama to visit Amanda and Jeff Willis. The household is run by an eleven year old hot shot by the name of Adam " Basketball's my game" Willis. Mary Ellen and Emma enjoyed playing in the pool with their new found cousin.
While in Tuscumbia, Amanda treated the family to a pool party with Brooks Bar B Q galore. We pigged out. I have to admit the Brooks was my request. There's nothing finer than a Brooks Slaw Dog.
My cousin, John Copeland McKelvey and his wife Judy came out and spent a very warm evening around the pool. I think it must have been 100 plus with at least 200 per cent humidity.
I finally got to show John Copeland what the little River Hawk boat looks like. Johnny is my semi professional expert gearhead. I seek his advice on anything canoe or camping related.
While in Madison with Linn and family we toured a state park just outside Huntsville named Monte Sano. The park and facilities were first rate. The rise in elevation and the heavy shade really helped with the heat.
On Friday night Bob's company rented an amusement park. It was supposed to be a night for the kids. Even the older ones like Amy and myself got into the fun.
In Madison and Huntsville Linn showed us three great restaurants.
One, the Main Street Cafe was in downtown Madison. It is right next to the train tracks and used to be the town jail. The place had a fantastic greek salad with a huge piece of blackened salmon on top.
The another place we enjoyed was the Ole Heidelberg. It was a fantastic German place. It was equally good. I had a mushroom stuffed schnitzel but Bob McAuliffe had something called a Gypsy Schnitzel. It was stuffed veal with a German version of Fettuccine Alfredo on top. He won the table prize for best order.
The third restaurant was the Greenbriar Cafe of Greenbriar, Alabama. Super catfish and bar b q. I can attest to the catfish and hush puppies. I'm talking good stuff.
For the first time in Amy's memory, her photographer husband, finally took pictures of family. She had encouraged me to shoot her "assignment" with my little Canon G-9.
She suggested we publish the pictures in the blog so I would think of it as a gig and put a little effort into it.
I guess there was a little wisdom in the idea because I finally brought back some pictures.
I hope you don't mind me bringing my family into the narrative but without family the retirement lifestyle is definitely incomplete.
I hope the blog readers are able to enjoy their families like we did this weekend.
Please enjoy the goofy pictures.
John "Boomer" Boykin
john@commimage.com
www.commimage.com
www.retire-right.blogspot.com
www.floatfishingamerica.blogspot.com
p.s.
I got the nick name of Boomer when I worked for my uncle John McKelvey on the Southern Railroad. It is a railroader's nickname for guys who don't intend on sticking around.
It's related to working where business is booming then moving on when it slacks off.
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| Jeff and Amanda Willis poolside |
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