Writer’s Note: The following is a continuation of last week’s narrative, which left off around Jon’s teenage/college years.

In August of 2007, Sally and I loaded our cars and moved Jon to Medaille College in Buffalo to begin his quest to be in law enforcement, a goal he’d had since Fifth Grade. Like his youth and high school days, Medaille would give us so many miles, memories, and new friends, as Jon made the Mavericks Baseball Team, which meant lots of travel including spring trips to Florida, and Conference games that took us from Buffalo to Maryland and many places in between.

Even though he came back for summers in those college years, and after he graduated in 2011, there was a lot of time he was out of the house during those years, but true to his word, he graduated college in four years with his degree in Criminal Justice. Within a year, he received an invitation to the Police Academy in Chesterfield County Virginia. I say an invitation, because at that academy, you are invited to be trained by them, and paid by them while in the academy, and you’d be guaranteed a position as an officer upon a successful completion of that training. In February 2013, Jon received his shield, (pinned on him by his mother), and the keys to a patrol car to begin his career. Hard to believe he’s been on the force 11 plus years, where he’s now a detective.

Since there was such a wide gap between Chasy and Chrissy’s, and Jon’s ages (15 and 13 years) respectively, it was like we were parents in two separate generations, so we went from Chasy and Chris’s activities (music, gymnastics, swimming, art) then later, to Jon’s (year-round sports, some Middle School music). There were more of Jon’s (he played multiple sports) that had games and practices than the girls which were mostly concerts, and practices, and some competitions.

After Jon graduated high school in 2007, we began that stage of life referred to as the “Empty Nest Stage.” So many activities after High School in which Jon was involved were over, though the four years of Baseball at Medaille driving here, there, and everywhere for that, and loving every second of it, filled in some of the emptiness, but even then, home was kind of a chasm. Right after Jon started college, it was almost like Sally and I lived in an echo chamber. It almost sounded like when we talked to each other our voices reverberated throughout the house. It felt empty, and after he moved to Virginia, it felt even more empty.

So here we were, when he went to college, at ages 55 and 55 minus 5 respectively, like we needed to go rocking chair shopping. Only good thing was that we were both still working, though I retired a year later, but Sally kept on working. So, when Jon moved to Virginia, I was 60 and Sally was five years younger. It wasn’t until just two years ago that Sally retired at our combined years of age being 133.

So, now here we are, the house still empty (though we did have a cat for 13 years…R.I.P Spook) as it was when Jon left, but not echoing anymore. (Sally says because I’ve filled the house with so much sports memorabilia it couldn’t echo if it tried.) And, what about us? Are we Golden Aged Empty Nesters, or Geriatric Jet Setters who rehydrated with our favorite beverage and Geritol chaser? (How about that expression aging us, huh? And BTW, I vote for the second choice.)

Since I retired and even more so, now that Sally’s retired, we’re in the car a lot. Though we miss Tribemobile much, TM2 is taking us on some amazing journeys. Instead of traveling to watch Jon, and attending Chasy and Chris’s activities, we’ve now found other ways to enjoy ourselves and each other. We are Parrottheads [(16 concerts from here to Nashville), R.I.P. Jimmy], Trans-Siberian Orchestra groupies (8 concerts), we’ve seen Journey, Toto, Elton John, Billy Joel , the Eagles, Beach Boys, Neil Diamond, The Rat Pack, and Michael Cavanaugh in concert. (Already ticketed for Billy Joel’s and Rod Stewart’s stage sharing this coming September.) We’ve seen Fiddler on the Roof (twice), Jersey Boys (three times), Wicked, To Kill a Mockingbird (twice), Escape to Margaritaville, Les Miserables, Bye Bye Birdie, Phantom of the Opera, and several tribute bands here and there. We’ve also taken advantage of movies, concerts, and shows at the Reg, Chautauqua, Little Theater, and local high schools, here at home.

Baseball still boils our blood as we’re Half-Season Ticket Holders of the Cleveland Guardians/Indians. We’ve been to Spring Training once, and the playoffs numerous times including The World Series in 2016. We’ve been to Minor League games in Nashville, Richmond, and Bowling Green KY, and seen many games at Russell E. Diethrick Park too.

We’ve attended an NFL Draft, taken numerous trips to Chasy’s in Tennessee (visited Nashville numerous times), and Jon’s in Virginia (Richmond, many times). We’ve done wine tasting in Virginia, Ellicottville, Brocton, and Erie, and visited a distillery, brewery, and cider mill in Virginia, not to mention attending more than 20 annual Feast of the Assumption Italian Festivals in Little Italy, Cleveland. We also spent a week in Las Vegas with tours to the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, and some other cities in Arizona.

Back home, we’ve taken overnight trips to Erie attending the Station Theater for a couple stage dinner plays, and this past October, we signed up at Planet Fitness (compliments of our Medicare Supplement plans), where we’re often found, often as early as 1:30 am.

I guess you really can say that our home is an Empty Nest, but not so much because the kids are gone. It’s more that Mama and Papa Lombo have flown the coop a lot more since they’ve left. Not bad for a couple whose combined ages will add up to 137 years after April 2nd and 23rd. (BTW, if you see my bride three days from now, wish her a Happy Birthday.)

Happy Trip Around the Sun Day next Tuesday, Sal! Let’s keep this Marriage-go-Round spinning ’round! What a ride it’s been, so far, and it sure ain’t over yet!

Kids, about that inheritance money…