The Retirement Blog Post...

After about a year of doing the math, studying, dreaming and scheming I told my employer last January that I would retire on May 1st. That turned out to be a day off so my last work day was April 28th. 

I use this photo I made about a year ago of a sail boat on the Hudson River in New York Bay because people ask me all the time if I'm going to buy a new boat when I retire. I'm not. The boat I have seems like it will probably last me till I'm too old to operate it. I kind of expected some of my kids to buy a boat this year and actually the PK have purchased a canoe that I have only seem photos of but looks big enough to put my canoe inside of so I think I will be taken care of. 

Of course when all these calculations were being made and the with timing of my final announcement I was acting kind if like Trump did and was not paying too much attention to Covid 19. I have read that all the indignant people complaining about their coronavirus inconveniences are really going to have their butts kicked when global warming effects begin escalating. I expect to be gone by then or at least old enough to go in the first wave of causalities so that even though I have survived the toilet paper wars I won't have to fight anyone for water or shade. 

Speaking of shade last January my retirement income tied to the stock market was throwing quite a bit of shade and a fixed income certainly looked comfortable. As of right now things are a little less and while I invested in toilet paper and am alright in that department a 14 day stay in ICU due to Covid 19, if I survived it would certainly impact the bottom line. 

But maybe all this quarantine of the past few weeks  is good practice. Staying home. Cutting back on eating out and impulse purchases. It has been a much simpler life and I still have been able to do the things I like, maybe without some of the friends and family I am used to having close at hand but I have found much pleasure in slowing things down. I've taken the time to read more, work in the yard and around the house, listen to music, and play my instrument although I must admit I am itching for a jam session or gig of some sort. With the no eating out me and Cathy have spent some time in the kitchen cooking together. Cathy is part time in her work now and meals have been fun as opposed to sling it on the table so someone can get to work on time. 

So there is no new boat on the horizon but there is an opportunity to set sail on a different course. After taking stock of what I have I don't think I need more but I intend to find some way to make myself useful. I'm ready and I'm going to be good at it.