When I was a kid, my family used my mid-December birthday as the dividing line between "regular" time and "holiday" time. When is the last day to get those Christmas cards in the mail? My birthday. When was the last day to order stuff from catalogs to ensure a Christmas delivery? My birthday. When did the Christmas tree go up & the house get decorated? After the birthdays. Yes, birthdays - my younger brother Tim was born on my sixth birthday, so 12/11 became a double celebration as well as...

I retired a few months ago, but because I was a teacher, it's only now (on October 1st) that I feel well and truly retired. I've been out...