Richard’s Almanac: Worth a shot

The first dose of the shingles vaccine was administered last Wednesday at the Senior Center with 59 injections given.

At the last minute they ran out and had to go get another five doses.

The second shot in the two-shot series will be given on Wednesday, September 11. The shots are administered by nurses from Valley Stream Rite-Aid.

The senior Center was also the scene of a huge yard sale last Saturday morning. I went over to take a photo and saw my daughter and granddaughter there. They had a variety of items and were debating whether or not to buy a rubber raft with two paddles. It looked very nice but they were told that it did not hold air — a slow leak I was told.

With that in mind, Lora plunked down five dollars for a leaky raft.

“You can fix the holes, Dad,” she said, showing great confidence in my handy man skills.

So we stuffed the raft into the back of my Jeep and I took it home.

After filling it using my air compressor and hosing it down, I immediately noticed three pinholes. So I went to the hardware store and David Gurney directed me toward a vinyl repair kit with adhesive and patches. After cutting the patches and applying the glue, I filled it up again with air.

As of this writing, so far so good. But I would not depend on this raft as a life-saving device — just for lots of close-to-shore fun. And the paddles alone are worth the five dollars and the cost of the vinyl repair kit.

The proceeds from the yard sale are set to go for Alzheimer’s research.

On another subject, I noticed an item on the internet that claimed to show many ways that retired seniors could earn some cash. Some of them were not very far-fetched and I thought it worthwhile to pass along.

The first one to catch my eye was a “driver.” If you are in good shape and have good vision and reflexes, why not. I know someone who retired from a college post and would drive people in their own cars. He said that it was much easier that way. He did mostly airport trips. Another opportunity is to be a consultant. Many individuals can share their experiences to help others.

Home care aides are always needed but require certain skills. Then there are tutoring opportunities that may come up. Many of us have gained proficiency in subjects such as foreign languages, math, science and literature. By the same token if you are good at an instrument, perhaps you can give lessons.

And if you are good with people, there are many part-time jobs in retail available. There are also many opportunities at galleries and museums for part-time help. The author also mentioned child care as an opportunity along with restaurant work. I disagree with these last two. Older folks just do not have the energy to work with little ones  or put up with the demands of the restaurant business.