Well the downside to this whole retirement thing just hit. I realize I have now run out of all my good excuses:
I'd like to get some regular exercise and get in shape but I just don't have time.
Someday I'll get out those boxes of photos and put them in albums.
We really should eat better but we are always on the go.
I would keep a cleaner, tidier house if anyone was here to notice it.
Etc!!!
I can't believe how many things I've been able to delay because I had a busy work life. For years, Donnie has been a fanatic about walking every morning. I am now joining in "the fun". I am telling people that he is either trying to get me in shape so we can have a long retirement together or trying to kill me off right away to collect my insurance! As a tradeoff, I got him a library card and checked out a book in his name. If he can make me walk, I can make him read :)
Friday, June 24, 2011
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Can They or Can't They?
Let me just say this - I don't often use the term "never" but on this particular challenge I'd like to say NEVER bet against Donnie on a roadtrip! He is the guy who can drive 14 hours with one stop. Now that isn't how we plan to do our whole roadtrip but there seems to be a small contingent of folks who think we'll never make our way through the states we have mapped out.
At our retirement party, we gave people an option to participate vicariously in our roadtrip by signing up for a state so they can tell us where to go. There is no secret that people have been wanting to "tell me where to go" for quite some time so now they can do it kindly :) For most of the 17 states, we even have double entries. I asked them to keep the location a secret until I call them when we have finished each leg of our Amazing Race, but I heard lots of entertaining discussion of places they are sending us, things they want us to do, or people we will get to visit. (The Lawrence Welk museum, gopher hunting in Montana, topless burger bar in Vegas, and of course my mom is sending us to check in on my long lost brother in Arizona).
So, early August, let the challenge and adventure begin. Until then, I'll be learning how to relax, nap, work on my tan (yes Mom, I'll use sunscreen), and try to lose a few pounds by staying busy and away from the fridge!
At our retirement party, we gave people an option to participate vicariously in our roadtrip by signing up for a state so they can tell us where to go. There is no secret that people have been wanting to "tell me where to go" for quite some time so now they can do it kindly :) For most of the 17 states, we even have double entries. I asked them to keep the location a secret until I call them when we have finished each leg of our Amazing Race, but I heard lots of entertaining discussion of places they are sending us, things they want us to do, or people we will get to visit. (The Lawrence Welk museum, gopher hunting in Montana, topless burger bar in Vegas, and of course my mom is sending us to check in on my long lost brother in Arizona).
So, early August, let the challenge and adventure begin. Until then, I'll be learning how to relax, nap, work on my tan (yes Mom, I'll use sunscreen), and try to lose a few pounds by staying busy and away from the fridge!
Friday, June 10, 2011
Reverse Nesting
It's no secret that the Mother of the Year award escapes me time and time again. I love my kids. I enjoy my kids. But from the onset, most mothering never came naturally to me (except the discipline and butt chewing job). I remember reading that in the last trimester before birth mothers go into "nesting mode". I don't think that happened with me. I do remember crying thinking "I have a Master's degree in education and know nothing about babies". It was frightening and made me feel incompetent. Parenting has had that effect on me alot! Others always seems to have it all together (maybe they are just better at hiding it than I am!).
Where's all this going and what does it have to do with retirement? I've always loved analogies. For instance, I described menopause to younger friends as puberty without the good body (ok - sorry, I slipped up and mentioned the M word even though I swore this blog wasn't about THAT change). For me, retirement is like birthing a new life. Now I get to raise myself :) With that, I've started some reverse nesting.
Here's what we've accomplished so far (and who knew there would be so many little details to prepare):
cleaned out closets getting rid of school clothes we'll never wear again, cleaned out computer and blackberry files, emails, contacts, etc from work owned equipment, packed up the office and found new homes for years of saved teacher resources, sent new contact information to people, made final dental appointments before we lose our dental insurance, set a meeting to create an investment account for our retirement rollover, finalized some travel plans including making sure someone will be mowing Gramma Georgia's grass while we are gone, bought "needed" travel items - locking truck bed cover, camera, Ipad, went shopping for retirement wardrobe for Donnie - nothing but shorts :), and ordered the equipment needed to access our Dish Network service from anywhere so Donnie won't miss a Cardinal game! Yep - I think we are almost ready.
Where's all this going and what does it have to do with retirement? I've always loved analogies. For instance, I described menopause to younger friends as puberty without the good body (ok - sorry, I slipped up and mentioned the M word even though I swore this blog wasn't about THAT change). For me, retirement is like birthing a new life. Now I get to raise myself :) With that, I've started some reverse nesting.
Here's what we've accomplished so far (and who knew there would be so many little details to prepare):
cleaned out closets getting rid of school clothes we'll never wear again, cleaned out computer and blackberry files, emails, contacts, etc from work owned equipment, packed up the office and found new homes for years of saved teacher resources, sent new contact information to people, made final dental appointments before we lose our dental insurance, set a meeting to create an investment account for our retirement rollover, finalized some travel plans including making sure someone will be mowing Gramma Georgia's grass while we are gone, bought "needed" travel items - locking truck bed cover, camera, Ipad, went shopping for retirement wardrobe for Donnie - nothing but shorts :), and ordered the equipment needed to access our Dish Network service from anywhere so Donnie won't miss a Cardinal game! Yep - I think we are almost ready.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
So.....Here We Are
Now that the school kids have been gone from the building for over a week, it is STARTING to feel a little bit real. People keep asking me what it feels like to be retired but since I'm still putting in a few more weeks of office time, it hasn't truly hit just yet (at least not for me!). Now Donnie - that's another story. There is no secret among the people who know us that we approach just about everything in different ways, so why should this retirement transition be any less bipolar?
Now don't get me wrong - Donnie loved the job, the kids, the coaching and I'm certain he'll miss it (or at least aspects of it) but he has made this move like the true competitive champion he is. After the students were gone on the last day, he cleared out a few personal items, turned in his keys, and headed home to have a beer. He got up the next morning and made a Bloody Mary. His week looked like this - a barbecue with friends, a trip to KC which included several different stops to see old friends and share a toast or two, golf at the Lake, the Cardinal game, and shopping for his new retirement wardrobe - nothing but shorts! The man is impressive. Never look back! I have always said that Donnie is the kind of guy who works to make a living, not a life. He never let the job define him, but I think retirement will :) I know the research says that it is important as we age to continue to exercise your brain, so I think he'll be pouring liquid intelligence regularly to stay in shape!
Me on the other hand - I'm still doing some end of the school year things at the office. Right now, it mainly feels like just another end of the year. I made a point of not saying goodbyes. I've never really been too good at them anyway. I did go shop for a new camera so I can start to document our adventures and post some fun pictures on this blog once we start our travels in less than 2 months! Bring it on.
Now don't get me wrong - Donnie loved the job, the kids, the coaching and I'm certain he'll miss it (or at least aspects of it) but he has made this move like the true competitive champion he is. After the students were gone on the last day, he cleared out a few personal items, turned in his keys, and headed home to have a beer. He got up the next morning and made a Bloody Mary. His week looked like this - a barbecue with friends, a trip to KC which included several different stops to see old friends and share a toast or two, golf at the Lake, the Cardinal game, and shopping for his new retirement wardrobe - nothing but shorts! The man is impressive. Never look back! I have always said that Donnie is the kind of guy who works to make a living, not a life. He never let the job define him, but I think retirement will :) I know the research says that it is important as we age to continue to exercise your brain, so I think he'll be pouring liquid intelligence regularly to stay in shape!
Me on the other hand - I'm still doing some end of the school year things at the office. Right now, it mainly feels like just another end of the year. I made a point of not saying goodbyes. I've never really been too good at them anyway. I did go shop for a new camera so I can start to document our adventures and post some fun pictures on this blog once we start our travels in less than 2 months! Bring it on.
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