Ann’s been retired for just over a month now, but most of it really didn’t count because we took off for Portugal 3 days after she was technically retired.  And while our trip wasn’t really a vacation, it was so out of the normal routine that it can’t quite be considered indicative of what her retirement would be like.  Then, of course, the week after we got back we jet-setted to San Francisco to hand in our visa applications.  So last week was our first week back where I was working and Ann was . . .  well, retired.  Even if being retired hasn’t fully hit her yet.  So what did Ann do her first week of freedom?

This is a simple blog post really.  One image that tells quite a story about Porto, and I suspect, much of Portugal as it lifts itself from economic hard times.  Take a look at this panorama from our rental apartment - can you tell what it is?

Just before Christmas I did something that caused Ann to roll her eyes and say,  “After 20 years of marriage you still surprise me and do things that leave me speechless.”  I’m not sure whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing, but a similar situation came up this past weekend that I wanted to make sure wasn’t a bad thing.  So I gave Ann a warning, lest she totally lose it.

When I was a kid I used to watch Batman on tv.  The one with Adam West as Batman and God knows who as Robin.  Whenever there was an action scene (read: fight) involving the Joker, Riddler, or Penguin, the screen would flash with bold letters “SOK! BAM! KAPOW! BLAP!”  Other times, something surprising would happen and Robin would exclaim, “HOLY COW BATMAN!”  Only later did I realize that was a euphemism for an expletive.  Given that we generally try to keep this a family friendly blog, let me just say that Ann and I had a, “HOLY COW BATMAN!” moment the past week.  Join us to find out what it was.