ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW ABOUT RETIREMENT I LEARNED FROM MY DOGS (with apologies to Robert Fulghum)

Since retiring, I've had the blessing of being able to spend more time with my three dogs. I have learned a great deal from their company, especially in regards to leisure time. I have learned:

1) Be happy with the basics of life: food, water, a warm place to sleep, a yard to play in, and someone to keep you company.
2) A tennis ball is a lot of fun to play with.
3) Always be ready for something exciting to happen (such as the mailman arriving).
4) Always greet your loved ones when they arrive, even if they just left five minutes ago.
5) Let the world know how you feel. When you're angry, growl. When you're sad, whine. And when you're happy, stand on your hind legs and dance around.
                                                                   and finally:
6) When in doubt, take a nap.

UP AGAINST A WALL

When it comes to the current federal government shutdown, there's definitely enough blame to go around.

Trump wants his border wall and the Democrats in congress ... well, the Democrats just want to make Trump back down. Democrats have voted for border walls in the past, under previous administrations. But now they are determined to make Trump look bad, and in the process they have turned their backs on the Dreamers. These are, of course, the illegal immigrants who were brought to this country while still children, some while still infants. They have grown up in this country; some don't speak Spanish.

The Democrats have, in the past, said they want to help these Dreamers and now would be the perfect opportunity for the Democrats to "walk the walk." Trump apparently is willing to compromise: a six billion dollar wall for permanent residency for the Dreamers. To most logical Americans, that seems to be a fair trade.

But the Democrats have not even put that offer on the table.

And this, I'm afraid, is evidence of the worst problem with most politicians. They are more concerned with making the other side look bad, and with being reelected, than they are with actually accomplishing something.

So, for the foreseeable future, Trump's wall will stay unbuilt, the Dreamers will stay in residency limbo, and the federal government will stay partially closed. It's a sad state of affairs.