My wife and I are sitting here having coffee early this fine November morning and listening to the sound of our neighbor Bill putting the garbage out for tomorrow’s collection. Bill is always the first person on the street to get the garbage out. He gets it out a full 24 hours before the garbage men actually come to get it, despite the fact that you’re not supposed to put your garbage out until the evening before collection.

Bill’s an older, retired gentleman. It takes him a while to get the garbage out and he’s very organized about it. My wife made the observation that retired men tend to putter about, especially in matters of sanitation.

“I guess that’s what happens when you’re retired. You constantly rearrange garbage and poke at things with shovels and sticks.”

Hope I’m not like that when I’m retired.