Interesting things happen as the years go by and a person realizes they are fast approaching, if not already have arrived, at the “Golden Years.” I am just shy of that milestone by nearly four years, but here are a few things I’ve noticed over the past few months.

My wife and I decided to throw caution to the wind and recently went to Mexico for some fun in the sun. We had our masks on every single time we were in public and practiced social distancing all the time. Mexico is actually really OCD about masks, sanitizing everything and having those Purell dispensers every few feet to which I used religiously. In our room there was a magnifying mirror to use which came in quite handy. What I learned was that hair grows in more places than my chin now that I have advanced in age. I found three long hairs on my eyelid. Good thing I always carry tweezers. Let me just say, plucking hairs from the eyelid was not much fun at all. I imagine it would be just as much fun as tattooing that area, which I’ve briefly considered so that I don’t have to put on eyeliner. Alas since I’ve taken to wearing daytime pajamas (sweats) every day and rarely putting on make-up, getting a permanent tattoo on my eyelids seemed over the top unnecessary!

The other thing I learned after reading a tweet about a book I had published a few years back is that I don’t have the foggiest idea what lines I’ve written in books that could be considered clever and witty! I don’t even remember the names of all of my characters and often have to go back to my library and look them up if I decide to write a short story around the holidays using the characters in a previously published book (something I often choose to do). Despite the fact that whenever I attend a Q & A on another writer I often ask what is a favorite line they’ve written, I would never be able to answer that question myself…so don’t ask unless you want a delayed response (like as in several days later after I’ve scoured my books).

Fortunately my wife and I have a good sense of humor about forgetting things. Both of us are constantly saying, “I told you about that yesterday.” And…even though deep down we know the other person has indeed told us about something, our pat response is, “No you didn’t.” A round of yes I did and no you didn’t occurs until one or both of us cracks up.

Before a trip we quiz one another about everything we’re supposed to pack, including several double checks on our passports and swimsuit (the only two things that really matter). Most of the time we remember to pack most everything we need, but as time goes on, I’m considering developing a travel checklist just to be on the safe side.

I’m starting to pay close attention to those ads for supplements that are supposed to improve memory. Instead of laughing them off like I used to, I’m tempted to do research on how well they work. I don’t take any chances with lines that come to me in the middle of the night because there is no way I will remember them. I jump out of bed and write those suckers down. Of course by the time the line makes it into a book, I change it quite a bit, but the original nugget of inspiration remains.

Speaking in inspiration, my book Inspiration Takes a Vacation comes out in early January. Hot off the press…I did it…pulled the trigger and decided at the last minute to make my book available for pre-order… I’m not anticipating a ton of sales during the pre-order process (especially since it will be available on KU on January 7th), but what the hell, maybe some of my most loyal readers will want to shop before Christmas! Amazon US Amazon UK Amazon Australia Amazon Canada Amazon Germany Also…feel free to check out my backlist. Hopefully you enjoy those clever witty lines that I never remember! Links are below for ease!