T.G.I.F. Friday: Volume 99
Welcome to “Thank God I’m FI” Friday, Volume #99!
Here are some things I really like and that you might too.
Financial Independence/Work Life/Retirement Articles
Why 72% of Retirees Are Happy (Retirement Manifesto) – “Focus on your mindset, and seek out those things that bring you joy in life. Happiness is more within your control than you realize, especially in retirement.“
How America’s Middle Class Is Shrinking (Forbes) – “Between 1970 and 2021, the share of U.S. aggregate income earned by the middle class shrunk from formerly 62% to just 42%. At the same time, aggregate earnings by those considered high income increased from 29% to 50%.“
Video
It’s that time again, time for some nature porn. Put this on your big screen and enjoy 5 minutes of peaceful bliss and beauty!
DESCHUTES National Forest 8K from More Than Just Forests on Vimeo.
What I’m Grateful For
Coming in 6th in my age group out of 35 in a recent off-road bike race despite being on a 15-year old bike that’s 5 or 6 pounds heavier than a proper race bike.
Lyrically Speaking
Everyday
Sitting by the window
Every night
I wonder where the days go
You’re not the only one
Afraid of what you’ve become
Why does everything
Seem like such a waste of time?
From “Everyday” by Ivy
I missed out on Ivy when they burst on the scene in 1995. In those days commercial radio or friends were the main ways to discover music. I had just bought my first CD player and was really into the burgeoning Americana or “alt-country” scene with bands like Wilco, Son Volt, The Jayhawks, and Blue Mountain dominating my listening time. Ivy released their debut record Realistic that year and man I wish I had discovered it then. They went on to release 5 more albums through 2011 all the while flying below my radar.
During that time one of their founding members Adam Schlesinger found bigger success in his other band Fountains Of Wayne which he also started in 1995. Schlesinger was an unparalleled talent in music and sadly died in 2020, and I highlighted Fountains Of Wayne in T.G.I.F. 14 right after his death. I love all of the Ivy records, but Realistic is my favorite. It sounds like the mid-90’s to me, even though I didn’t discover it until the second decade of the 2000’s. The song I highlighted above, “Everyday”, is actually one of my least favorite on the record, but it has lyrics I could link to a FIRE theme 🙂 My favorite on the record is probably “Don’t Believe A Word” which has an infectious melody and hook that just gets stuck in your head. It’s Schlesinger showing his legendary rock-hook genius way back as a youngster.
Speaking of those lyrics, Schlesinger summed up my life as a senior manager in the federal government pretty well. I was kind of afraid of what I’d become – another bureaucrat.
Miscellaneous
Cumulative time spent in “vigorous” physical activity lowers mortality risk – “But the effects of frequent, sub-minute bouts of high-intensity movement have not convinced me to change my exercise routine.
We can leave the Solar System, but arriving anywhere is not happening soon – “What if we dropped interstellar ambitions and focused on understanding our home system?”
Why didn’t the Aztecs invade Europe? – “Cows and crops played a major role in shaping the New and Old Worlds.“
Thanks for the shout-out on my “Happy Post,” Dave. Much appreciated. And…you even put me before the porn. I’m honored. 😉
Porn can always wait Fritz 😉
well done on that bike race. a fox suspension may have gotten you a higher placement, eh?
intensity is the secret sauce of exercise. even in my fat boy present state i can still go 160 bpm for 20 minutes. it’s a miracle with this lifestyle.
Ha, it was a gravel race so no suspension needed but I will buy more bikes in the future and it’s likely one will have Fox shocks!
Congratulations on the placing in the bike race; a 15 year old bike is a definite hindrance to doing well. Loved the nature porn; I’m very familiar with that area. My mother’s family owned a cattle ranch up there for about 100 years.
Oh wow that’s awesome, I would love to live near one of our beautiful National Forests
Isn’t it funny how the happiness scale according to age is like an inverted Belle curve? Young people are happy, and retirees are happy (for different reasons sure) but I think optimism has a lot to do with it. I wish the world prepared us for adulthood a little more! It’s nice not worrying about health issues or aging parents when you’re young, and it’s nice to not worry about building a business or career in retirement.
“I wish the world prepared us for adulthood a little more” Exactamundo! That would be nice wouldn’t it?