Retirement Day Two

The one nice thing about not having to go to work is that I have plenty of time to work at home: i.e., making appointments, checking email, keeping my calendar up to date, doing volunteer work and all at a pace I want. Today felt good: Went to breakfast Rotary meeting (and signed sheet for three new members--whew! no fines there), dropped off some stuff at the old office, ran a few errands and since I live in a small town, ran into a few people I know to say hello to.

Lunch at home (the goal is to save money and not eat out except with friends occasionally. If I'm alone, I can always find something to eat at home).

Funny thing, though, my temporary bridge fell out while eating (as it usually does) so, since being retired and at home, called my wonderful dentist right away and within a half hour the bridge is securely (I hope) back in place.

Which brings me to the astounding cost of dental work these days. At 66, my teeth are in bad shape and have had all kinds of work done in the last three months (well, actually last year and a half when the temporary bridge was put in place). My dental insurance only gives me $1,000 a year and I guess I will have spent about $7,000 by the time all is done in January.

When did the price of an extraction escalate to $350 per tooth, not counting x-rays, anesthesia, and what have you. The estimate for my work in January is at $3,800. I am agast. What is a retiree to do? I know some people who have had implants who have spent $30,000 on their mouth. Is it that important to be able to eat corn on the cob? I know...I know...I've already thought about how I will no longer be able to eat a piece of pizza without using a fork and knife. I gave up corn on the cob when my first crown broke off (not fell out--big difference!). But I can still eat corn and there is something comforting about being able to eat corn freshly cut from the cob in the kitchen without all that buttery mess clinging so embarrassingly to my chin and cheeks. A fork full of corn is just as tasty and not the least bit messy.

Well, there I go, rambling on and on, but isn't that what retirees do? I have a friend who is miserable in retirement because she says she loved her job and didn't want to quit. She was a layoff because of the economic turn down. I also loved my job but not enough to keep doing it. But that's a story for another day. Now it's time for my nap.