When you think about retirement, you think friends, fairways, and frolicking vacations. You don’t think about actually spending more time at work. Unless you’re George Arfaras.

Now that he has “retired” from the daily running of Newtown Health and Fitness, you can spot him at the club more often than in the old days, when he served as both owner and manager of the facility. I bumped into him Tuesday afternoon, and pointed this out to him. “Tell that to Dorrie,” he joked, referring to Dorrie Carolan, his friend and current club manager. I told him he should get outside, but it turns out the poor guy has Lyme Disease and is on medication.

Add him to an ever-growing legion of Lyme sufferers, which includes the library’s Janet Woycik and Jim Hornyak at Fairfield Hills.

The Bee Publishing Company had its annual clam bake last week at the boss’ house, and with all of the food I thought there was a better than average chance to get some scraps from the table. Except Kim Harmon brought his appetite. The Bee’s Sports Editor was bent on surpassing his last year’s eating performance, and managed to devour three two-pound lobsters. He walked away well sated, but confessed to waking up the next day feeling the effects of a crustacean overload.

The Newtown High School track has become a good place to walk off meals, train for fall sports, or just to get in good all-around shape. On Tuesday, I must have spotted 30 people either running or walking on the quarter-mile oval.

A few years back, Sandy Hook resident Dave Wolcott had himself and half of Newtown in a tizzy after his rather large boa constrictor escaped from his home at the intersection of Bennetts Bridge and Gelding Hill roads. The snake was eventually found, but I heard this week that David has much bigger concerns these days. His wife is expecting triplets in November. Dave, a 1988 Newtown High School graduate, is now living in Arizona with his rapidly growing family.

I bumped into a few families huddling midday Wednesday under the Treadwell Park pavilion on Philo Curtis Road. A squall had come up, making outdoor activity unpleasant. However, a determined group of children remained on the baseball diamond nearby, practicing their infield skills.

Tom Swetts just can’t seem to get away from Newtown High School, even during summer break. One of the directors of the high school’s drama department during the school year, the Newtown resident is spending his summer working with students in the school’s Summer Theatre Connections program. This year’s production will be Annie, which is being put together for public performances in a few weeks.

Tom dropped me a line this week and it almost makes the fur along my back and my tail stand on end to help someone locate a canine, but I’ll help him out anyway: Tom is looking for a sandy-colored dog to play the role of the same name for the upcoming production of Annie. If you think you have or know of the right dog, give Tom a call at 788-0166.

Sometimes, the best reason to call anyone is to wish them a happy birthday. This would be a good week to make such calls, since there seem to be a lot of Newtowners celebrating their big days. Jimmy Crick turned 70 on Tuesday. Donna Gorton celebrated a birthday on Wednesday, and Scott Baggett turned 39 the same day (next year’s a big one, Scott!), and Dog Warden George Mattegat turned 72 the same day. Chin up, George! If you were a dog, you’d only be 10.

That would make George the perfect age to participate in the many programs put on by The Children’s Adventure Center. Just don’t give the Center a call if you’re filing your taxes. The Center usually gets a lot of call this time of year from people who have dialed the wrong number. That’s because the CAC number – 270-4230 – is very similar to the tax collector’s number – 270-4320. I made that same mistake this week.

The lower level of Town Hall South at 3 Main Street seems like a new building. When the office complex formerly was in use by several town agencies several years ago, a drab, short-pile industrial carpet covered the corridors. Today, the corridors are covered with sparkling white vinyl floor covering, dressing up the appearance of the interior and greatly brightening the environment. The lower level of the building houses the town’s social services department, the borough government and a meeting room.

Newtown resident Anne Lux is spending this summer as an intern with Elizabeth Stocker in the town’s community development office. Anne is an architecture student at Yale University.

I almost lost my bearings as I traveled down Church Hill Road the other day. The peeling cupola on Hawley School made me think I was at Fairfield Hills.

Remember, however, that if you use this column as your life’s compass, you’ll never lose your bearings. So always make sure to…

Read me again.