Reluctantly Retired? Not Me!

I have a friend who repeatedly says she hates retirement because she loved her job and was involuntarily laid off because of the economy. She's a statistic of the times, but also unusual. She had what I thought was a cushy job, but I doubt she would ever admit that. Getting paid for doing what you love is always the goal. I loved my job, too, but the economy forced me to half time at half pay when, in reality, I did not work "half-time." I worked full time for half pay and that stunk! One can only give so much and I was feeling put upon. So, when I reached 66 and the Government agreed to start paying me, I jumped at the chance. I've yet to look back...I haven't had time.

Yesterday I went to three meetings! And being retired, I kind of resented that I had those three to go to although I signed up for each event. I am hoping that three in one day doesn't happen again any time soon. In between meetings, I had to organize some interviews for this coming Saturday--again a project I signed up for--but I spent about an hour on the phone and then emailing confirmations. It really seemed like I was "working."

As I look over this month's schedule of activities and events, I find I may have dived into retirement with a little too much gusto. On the other hand, I really don't want to sit around contemplating that cliched navel.

I like being out and about...I also like vegging out at home, just puttering...I like being a lady who can "lunch" if I choose to...or take a 20 minute nap if I feel like it. I like being involved in the community--especially my small, friendly town. It gives me purpose, makes me productive. What more could a retiree want?

And I like our local Council on Aging. There's a myriad of activities for all tastes. If you want to be an "active senior" that's the place to be. I'm not a COA snob--"Im not old like those people. I don't belong at the COA." I think those seniors who refuse to look into activities at COA are really missing the boat. There appears to be something for everyone. And, if you don't see a choice you like, they welcome suggestions for activities.

Today I did an hour in the weight room; first 30 minutes on the treadmill and 10 with free weights, ending with 20 minutes on the bike. This was the first time I had done any of these things and I loved it. With up-to-date equipment, I could see what my heart rate is, how fast and how far I "traveled." Can I say that this hour of exercise was one of the most fun and fulfilling I've had recently. I worked up a self-righteous sweat and the endorphins really did kick in! I was psyched for the rest of the day. And because I'm retired, I can do whatever I please.

Retirement Rat Race

You may have noticed that I haven't blogged since September 15--that's almost one whole month. Retirement is a rat race! Part of the problem is my work ethic. I no longer work--for pay, that is, but for some reason I feel I must be productive each and every day. What is retirement and who makes the rules? Do I even know the rules? Do I want rules?

My plan for entering retirement was to keep busy so I wouldn't miss going to the office. I set up an "office" in my dining room--printer and laptop with wireless inernet. Very easy to keep up with email, make copies,type letters, pay bills, print photos--do all the things I did when I "worked" (for pay, that is).

I also planned for some personal growth (actually to diminish my recent growth in girth) by exercising three times each week at the local COA. I didn't know my knees would object furiously to this new endeavor. My new plan is to eat less, try to walk to my morning obligation (remember my first plan--to walk more? Hah! Didn't happen--yet!). I might also try osteo prevention instead of strength training and Zumba (golden edition) both of which have lunges, stomping, twists, and other knee killing moves.

And, I might try Reiki! For those who know me, I am the world's greatest skeptic about non traditional medicine. I hate supplements. I have never believed in chiropractors and don't ever intend to visit one. Acupuncture? No way. And believe me I have been extremely skeptical about Reiki, having learned a little about it from a cousin who even traveled to Sedona, Arizona, to learn from a (supposedly) authentic Shaman. How great is that!

This cousin truly believes in the healing powers of Reiki and who am I to dispute this. There have been testimonials. She's earned money doing this. So on a recent visit when I was complaining about my knees--one in particular--I got a free treatment. "Do you feel the energy," she asked. "No, I don't feel anything." "You don't feel that pulsating?" "No, I don't feel anything." "I'll count the beat--maybe you'll feel it. Now?...now?...now?...now?... Do you feel it?" "No, I don't feel anything." Oh, well, as a skeptic--I probably can't be hypnotized, either--I really, really did not feel a thing.

But when the 10 minute session stopped--and I was glad it did, being somewhat embarrassed at not "feeling anything"--I got up to get a drink and lo and behold, no stiffness in my knee. Could it be? Could it be that Reiki worked? Amazingly, it appeared to and my knee that has stiffness and pain ALL THE TIME had miraculously felt fine. It felt fine for the rest of the night. It felt fine the next day. It felt fine after a two, almost three hour drive home. The "cure" lasted for two days. And believe me, I was really surprised. It did wear off when I got up on the third day. I wish my cousin wasn't three hours away.

But I digress--what about those Rules of Retirement that I haven't learned yet. Rule number one might be learn to say "No." As in, are you free tomorrow to stuff 9,000 envelopes; are you free to do this? Are you free to do that? Of course I am free. Free of time, free of pay, free to say "No." I have to learn to say no.

Rule number two might be it's okay to veg out and watch daytime TV once in a while. Well, maybe not.

Rule number three is probably it's alright to get engrossed in a new book and just stay in nightgown all day, stopping only for pee breaks and seeing what's in the fridge (hopefully, from now on, just lettuce, celery and carrots).

Rule number four (and the most important), there really aren't any rules. You kind of have to make it up as you go along. Yes, it's nice to be productive, but productivity can be exhausting. I need a break every now and then and so I'm trying to schedule stay at home days--sort of my vacation from the rat race of retirement.

Rushing toward Retirement

Am I rushing or running--both, I guess. Twenty-nine days left. I'm working at home today and trying to "clean up" a few things.

I'm still doing my usual reading and Time, Inc. is one of my weekly standards. This week, I'm amazed at an article about "empty-nesters" who now need workshops and personal seminars to cope and get through that phase. Are these the boomers who need a 12 week workshop to reconnect with a spouse because all of a sudden the distraction of kids is no longer there? I don't think my parents' generation or my generation (the "tweeners") need someone explaining the process to them. Kids are born, you raise them (or rear them--I never remember the difference), they become more and more independent as the years go by and then they leave for college. Some summers they don't come home and we get used to them being gone and not having the day to day responsibility. We love them but we expect them to leave one day and we encourage them. Who needs a 12 week workshop to get that?

This, of course, brings me to the "personal life coach" syndrome. What the heck is a personal life coach? Aren't they our friends and relatives who are always trying to give us advice, solcited or unsolicited. Why would anyone pay a personal life coach and what parts of ones life are coached?

I've always been amazed at some of the letters Ann Landers or Dear Abby got. Granted some were excruciatingly difficult relationship problems probably best left to a stranger to straighten out. But some were so simple I would practically scream at the newspaper.

Is this all a symptom of the disintegration of the extended family and neighborhood? We have no friends or relatives to ask for help so we go to complete strangers for the simplest of life's problems. Can no one cope anymore?

My family is very small and I do admit to being jealous or at least a little envious of one of my friends who has a very large and close extended family. But the only part of my life when I remember having aunts, uncles, cousins and two sets of grandparents and a large, very large, extended family on both sides was when I was very young--from birth to about age 7. Those were the days of the late forties and early fifies when every Sunday meant a large family dinner (now called lunch)at someone's house.

But then the family started to pass on with a grandfather dying, then some of the aunts and uncles moved out of state and as far away as California. We wrote letters on thin skinned paper and mailed them a few times a year. No one called on a life coach to find out how to cope with our family's migration. We just accepted what was and moved on. And that's what I continue to do these many years later.

Rants on Retirement - 33 days to go

Can I be blocked after only 12 days? Need a topic. Can day 33 come soon enough? I've added another "issue" to my list. My cataracts seem to be gettting worse so I need to have that laser surgery. Should make an appointment with my opthamalogist. Did you know you can pay $3,000 to have a special lens inserted after the cataract comes out and you will not need to wear glasses with corrective lenses in that eye? I have worn glasses since I was 16 (and probably needed them before that). They are part of my persona. I can't imagine going anywhere without them. I would feel utterly naked--well, almost.

So many things seem to be breaking down. I never thought I would live passed 55. Why? Because my father died at 50 and my mother at 60, so I always thought somewhere around 55 would be it. Would I have taken better care of myself if I thought I would live this long? Hard to say. I probably would not have smoked. And somehow I would have tried to stay in better shape. All in all, however, except for my love of white flour, sugar, butter and salt, there's not much more I would have done. Except for my ill-spent youth, I don't really drink much. I never did drugs. I stopped smoking about 25 years ago. What else besides food, drink, drugs and tobacco can do you in?

Here I am, then, at 66, and things are falling apart. Nothing major, I guess. Nothing so overwhelming I can't handle it, but nevertheless, parts of me are letting me down.

When I retire and presumably have more time, I plan to exercise more. That's a good thing. But then I'll have more time to "lunch" with friends. That means more eating and just the other day there was an article in Time about exercise alone won't help one lose weight. You have to stop eating, too. Yeah, like that's going to happen anytime soon. My book club newsletter isn't helping. Do I choose Jane & Michael Stern's "500 Things to Eat Before it's Too Late" (too late for what?) or do I go for David Zinczenko's "Eat This Not That, The Supermarket Survival Guide! Or should I just drink more red wine and hope the French Paradox kicks in?

RetiredGal Recrudescing with 34 days left

I suppose you're all wondering were I was yesterday. I "forgot" to blog. I guess you could call it a senior moment. So I missed day 35 and here it is 34 days left until retirement. Can a return after a one day dormancy be called "recrudescing?"

Anyway, still no comments and it seems that it is hard to access this blog. I need a computer geek to let me know how to make it easier for people to link here. So, maybe it will turn into a journal instead of a blog. I can always get here, but it seems no one else can.

A lot of cleanup still to do before I leave. There's this big meeting coming up just two days before retirement that I seem to be in charge of. It was planned last year, but even then I knew it would be just before my retirement. There's a lot of work to do and I am exhausted just thinking about it.

Some minor medical issues mean a few days off for this thing or the other (and that is something because I had upteen sick days accrued over the years of my tenure). I have always been healthy and even on those days I wake up feeling like I would like to turn over and go back to sleep, I still get up and go to work. I've never taken a "mental health" day. Nope, just keep on truckin'. Now I have these minor "issues" which I have to take care of and that can't wait until R-day or after. I wish they could. My life would be a lot easier. But I have to schedule them and so I shall. This is the time I wish I had a "wife."

All you working women out there know what I mean. Wives are the 8th wonder of the world. Why is it only wives (and mothers) know how to do practically anything or at least how to find the right people to do that one something they cannot? Not rhetorical--I'd like an answer, please.

Ruminating on retirement - day 3 - minus 43

A little confusing perhaps for newcomers to this blog. Minus 43 means 43 more days until retirement. Day 3 means third day past official Social Security Retirement age--66 in my case. I am not a Boomer. Born in 43 makes me officially a "tweener." That label was something I first heard about 20 years ago to describe those of us born "between" the Great Depression and the end of World War II. Boomers, of course, refer to the baby boom produced by young returning soldiers and their wives just after the end of World War II.

As a Tweener, I come of age just a few years before the Boomers. I'm a child of the post-war 40's, cold war 50's and very early 60's. I'm the generation who didn't have TVs as children. My first TV experience was about 1952 with programs like Howdy Doody,and later The (original) Micky Mouse Club with Annette, the (original) American Bandstand. I Remember Mama on Friday nights, Uncle Miltie, etc., in black and white, of course, were staples!

Now I'm 66 and waiting breathlessly (literally) for retirement. A big part of my retirement will be the continuation of my volunteer work. I can't remember not volunteering. Even as a single adult, I taught CCD at my church. As a young mom, I continued that and added Girl Scout Leader, PTO member, and other things that kept me busy and connected,

I still volunteer as a member of some Town boards and programa and, of course, as a Roltarian--service above self.

I have a few friends who have already retired and the comment I hear most is, "I'm busier than when I had a 9 to 5." I think I'd like more balance between busy and relaxation. I'd like more time to read, go to movies, take a short afternoon nap. All of course with some structure.

A Birth Day Blog on the Road to Retirement

Well, today I turn 66 and according to the Social Security Administration have reached full retirement age. I knew it was coming and, in a way, I have been planning for it for a couple of months. I wish I had planned better and longer. But here I am, 66, and my retirement date is September 15, 2009--and I can't wait! I am ready. I am eager. I am willing. I have 45 days to go before I actually quit work. Until then, I am still in charge, still have current work to do, problems to face and solve, and "stuff" to finish and tie up neatly. A cluttered desk to clear. That's going to be the easy one--everything into the round file-- or in my case, the rectangular file under my desk.

After working full time for all of my adult life--about 48 years-- except for two and a half years after my only child was born, I am ready to retire. I've had an interesting work career. I've done a lot of different things, but have always seemed to break out of the pack so to speak and lead. Perhaps it's my "Leo" vibes.

I'm going to blog daily leading up to R-Day on September 15, then continue the blog into retirement to let those of you coming up (the so-called boomers) know what you can expect. I'm going to blog about finances, health, volunteering, cooking, and things that might lead me to an after retirement career. (Some of my choices are working in a bookstore, becoming a personal cook--not "chef"--perhaps writing a novel (just kidding)(but maybe not).

In terms of retirement savings, I really didn't do too well. That $1,000,000 I'm supposed to have to live a long, worry-free retirement is just not there. Would you believe $50,000? Despite my having interesting jobs, they were mostly in social services and low paying. I didn't follow the rules regarding IRAs, pensions, etc. So, with Social Security, a small (very small) pension from one of my jobs, supplemented by withdrawals from the IRAs and a small (very small) stipend from one of my volunteer activities, I'll have about $30,000 to live on before taxes. And, if I'm still here at 71, then it's time to redo the budget!

There were things I could do to enhance that budget. First, I could work until 70 and collect the maximum from Social Security. Oh, no. I'm tired now. I'm ready now. I could spend less, save more for the next four years. Nope!. I'm tired now. I'm ready now.

I think I can do it. Those of you who have saved that $1,000,000 in investments and retirement savings might want to move on. You won't need my hints about shopping the clearance aisles for everything from gifts to food. You won't be going to the movies at 11 a.m. for the cheap tickets, or shopping yard sales for anything. And when I go to the local "International Festival" for a food tasting, you'll probably be taking off for your rental in Provence and an "amuse bouche " of the real kind.

Nevertheless, I'm ready, I'm willing, and I'm able...and so I'm gonna...retire! Just 45 days left.