Random Ramblings: August 2026

I'm really enjoying The Pitt. It's non-stop action, and I'm amazed how well the actors just spout off medical terminology. I guess that's why they are really talented actors. Sure, maybe they don't need to show all of the blood and gore, but I sense that this is a fairly realistic look at a busy emergency room. Completely related, I plan on donating blood again soon. 

The other day, I went on Facebook using my Sean's Ramblings profile. I follow/like dozens of people, companies, etc. In scrolling through my feed, the first 63 entries were either sponsored posts (meaning ads) or something that "matches my interests." 63! How about showing me posts for something that I follow?!?!

I saw Styx and Chicago play recently. Definitely worth the $20 Groupon tickets. The only negative was there were no Terrible Towels or Steelers celebrities for Renegade. 

Did you know that geese hiss? I've mentioned numerous times that one of my favorite summer activities is taking walks on our neighborhood golf course after the golfers finish for the evening. I regularly see deer and foxes and geese on these walks. Recently, while walking on the cart path, I said "hey guys" to a group of geese who were eating and walking on the grass next to the path. My thought was that I wanted to announce myself and not startle them. In response, one goose lifted its head from the grass, looked directly at me, and hissed. I walked right by and didn't look back until I was a safe distance away!

Sheffield Wednesday plays its first match of the season in the first round of the EFL Cup on Saturday. There's some optimism for the season under new ownership since anything has to be better than last season when the team only won league matches. Still, I'm not ready for the season to begin or seeing Wednesday play League One matches against teams like Leyton Orient, Burton Albion, and Doncaster. Feel like it's going to take a few years for Wednesday to get close to getting back to the Championship League. And I'm not sure if they'll ever get to the Premier League.

My dentist asked me to see a periodontist for receding gums, and I put it off for years. I finally went, and the periodontist says that I need to have tissue graft surgery. I'm not going to get into details, but this all seems ridiculous to me. I feel like receding gums and graft surgery is something for people who are AARP members. Uh oh.

Finally, the best way to end any blog post is with Cookie Monster.

I'm Officially Old

The title says it all. You're reading the blog of a brand new member of AARP. Let the discounts begin! I signed up for a 5-year contract which included an insulated trunk organizer where I can place refrigerated or frozen grocery items. My contract runs slightly longer than the one T.J. Watt just signed with the Steelers, and I had to pay $60 instead of receiving $108 million. Otherwise, it's almost exactly the same.

In the last two months, I had two people ask if I plan on retiring soon. The first was my dentist of nearly 25 years though I think this was a set-up for me to ask her the same question. Her youngest child recently graduated from college, and she said that she will probably retire in 2027. While I appreciate the notice, I don't want to look for a new dentist. We have an excellent relationship, and I don't want a new dentist criticizing me for not flossing.

Last month, I saw a former board member of my organization for the first time in nearly 15 years. He also asked about possible retirement. In both conversations, I mentioned that my youngest is about to start 3rd grade, so retiring is still many, many years away. 

Finally, I'm terrible about getting new shoes. I wear my shoes out well beyond their life expectancy. My primary tennis shoes (basically the shoes I wear when not wearing "dress" shoes) have seen better days. I went to two stores, and shared several pictures with my wife to get her opinion. One shoe was completely black, and she replied that old men wear those shoes. 

While I didn't buy them, I think I'm starting to meet that profile and demographic!

A Debbie Gibson AARP Concert

Debbie Gibson was one of my first celebrity crushes, and I wrote all about her in a TMI Thursday post several years ago. I follow her on Facebook and Twitter too. It was from this that I learned about her upcoming virtual concert...for AARP. Apparently, I'm now in AARP's target demographic. I don't think a new version of "Electric Youth" titled "Electric Middle Age" will work as well. Bottom line: I'm old!

And yes, I registered for the concert. I haven't seen a Debbie Gibson concert in 35 years, so why not?