The Agenda

It wasn't until I reached Bayfront Park on my morning bicycle ride that I activated my inertia concerning an outstanding matter with our financial advisor.  Until then it had pretty much been an ordinary awakening to the new day; viz., making the bed, the usual ablutions, breakfast (alas finishing the Kerrygold Pure Butter) and reading the latest digital issue of Country Life (which to its credit dutifully appeared on schedule). There was a minor disruption in plans when the hair salon called to change my appointment tomorrow by 25 minutes due to the illness of the stylist. I think it was shortly thereafter that I mounted my initial assault upon the financial advisor.  I have no patience. As far as I reckoned, he had indicated two days ago he would contact us. His time was up.

He eventually called.  But first I suffered the frustration of being unable to contact him directly.  Either I had the wrong telephone number or his calls were automatically forwarded to his assistant.  I ended by sending an email - and naturally had to await a reply which came hours later with the standard excuses and apology.  Apart from that trifling delay this first dealing with him (our new agent following the recent retirement of our former advisor) turned out to be most satisfactory.  He knows his business and presents his advice concisely, formally and methodically - all right up my alley as the saying goes! As a result we are enabled to dismiss the muddle surrounding those affairs and happily return to more digestible diversion.

Until then however I distracted myself by investigating two areas along my routine bike path which previously I had largely ignored. There were no surprises but the acquaintance satisfied my repeated curiosity and dispelled undue imagination and speculation.  I discovered a hint of Old Florida in the residential area.

It was such a tranquil spot that I felt surreptitious stopping to take a photograph of the one place that particularly caught my attention (specifically the light olive coloured exterior paint and the stubby palm tree on the front lawn).  Secretly I fabricated an ulterior commercial interest which I fashioned revealing if I were questioned.  Naturally no such enquiry of my movements occurred but I felt much relieved to withdraw from the privacy.  That duty was performed.

On my return cycle to home base - as I glided along the brilliantly sunny Gulf of Mexico Drive - I summarized the list to address upon our imminent return to Canada, mostly matters relating to various parts of my leathered carcass - eyes (escalating opacity), ears (deafness), teeth (root canal), chest (recovering broken ribs), abdomen (hernia), legs and feet (neuropathy). Constantly I find myself exonerating the declensions of aging, not out of justification but as a means of overcoming the defeat of not doing so.

Earlier this morning - while cheerfully gulping my extraordinarily black, iced coffee - we investigated the niceties of SIM (subscriber identification module) cards for new iPhones. We called Bell Canada and a local Apple store.  After some debate and hesitancy we've settled to undertake that detail on terra firma rather than attempt to address the issue on Longboat Key.  Something to look forward to in any event. It has been added to our list of things-to-do upon our return.