Two garages and five cars

Cars and travels and the stock market got the most attention – along with the usual peals of laughter – at Wednesday’s monthly BJ retirees lunch at Papa Joe’s restaurant, Akron/Peninsula Road and Portage Trail Extension.

Retired printer Gene McClellan has five cars in his two garages, some from the 1980s. “It gives me something to work on,” Gene said, “and my brother, too.” The McClellan brothers enjoy tinkering with the autos.

Carl Nelson recalled how his family drove 7,000 miles in six weeks to visit all but two states. Others chimed in about their trips. When you’re not anchored to a building for five 8-hour days a week, you CAN gadabout. That’s one of the perks of retirement.

The 1,000-point stock market drop in 17 minutes got some attention. And the bounceback, too. At retirement ages, you’re less likely to panic because you’ve been through it more than a few times. You know there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, and it’s not a train headed straight at you.

Retired newsroom editor Tom Moore came with his Roy Hobbs cap and Roy Hobbs jacket, souvenirs of his annual October/November stays in Fort Myers, Florida, where more than 200 teams of old and older players show up from around the United States, and Germany and Russia, to play the national pastime. Tom gets paid to write for and print Roy Hobbs World Series newspapers about the games, plus free lodging and food.

Seven showed up at Papa Joe’s this time. The others were retired printers Cal Deshong, who’s closing in on Methuselah age, and Al Hunsicker, and newsroom retirees Dave Boerner and John Olesky.

Click on the headline to see photos of the BJ lunch bunch. Better yet, show up at 1 p.m. the second Wednesday of each month and join in on the fun.