Retirement Is Like Summer Holidays All Year ‘Round!
Hahahah – bullshit! I just made that my title because it was so catchy.
Yesterday was my 7 month retirement anniversary. In the last month I found myself visiting my old place of employment – Sears – on several occasions, once or twice because I was in the vicinity, and a couple of times when I actually bought something. It was great to see old friends – and easy to avoid an old enemy – but it was totally depressing to hear how the business is going, meaning that there isn’t a lot of it.
I bought something that earned me $200 points spread out over 6 months. I got September right away. I feel pretty good about October, November and December. Might just plan on writing that last $67 off.
So what I bought was a compound miter saw. With the plan of making stuff. I made a bench with it, bright red.
It weighs a freaking ton. I made it out of Douglas fir and it is still leaking sap. But it’s sturdy. VERY sturdy.
I have plans to make other things. No, really, I have plans of things to make. Retired people are required to make stuff; it’s a rule or something.
I am finding it increasingly difficult to remain active. Don’t misunderstand that for boredom, but all of the things that I usually like to do involve sitting at a computer or watching TV or, more often, doing both at the same time. I try to do a half hour or so on the exercise bike – in fact, I am doing so as I type this. Whether this is helping or just checking a box when I visit the doctor is hard to say.
(I need a shave.)
Anyway, this leads up to my biggest retirement concern: I am gaining weight. It was inevitable, even though I am consuming a lot less fast food now that I am retired. Intellectually I know how to avoid this, but I have all the willpower of a 3 year-old locked overnight in a Baskin-Robbins. Ohhh, ice cream. Be right back!
LOL, just kidding. Kinda. I did have about 7 strawberries with whipped cream on…….ohhhhhh, maybe that is why I am getting fat!
Which is not going to get any better in October, when I take my second retirement vacation. To Anaheim to do my 737 flight simulator Christmas Gift.
And a few days at Disneyland followed by a few days with my sister Carol in San Diego. Won’t be any dieting on this trip!
I close with this. I am tired of summer. I have never been a huge fan of summer, and now that Autumn has arrived, it’s time for summer to go. Let’s have some cool nights and rainy days. Let’s have a little wind to knock the leaves off the trees. Let’s have Halloween and Thanksgiving and Christmas, holidays that I will be enjoying in full for the first time in many, many years.
See you in October!