Tuesday, March 11, 2008

15 Things I've Learned Since Retirement


I have had 6 months now of freedom from 9 to 5 work and I have learned a few things:

1. If you don’t wear lipstick every day your lips get chapped.

2. You can cook much better dinners when you have more than a half hour to create them.

3. Just because you aren’t in the land of donuts, chocolate, pastries and cakes (which is what my workplace was) doesn’t mean you are going to lose weight. Probably it’s because of those “better dinners” and lunches out!

4. My plan of walking to get the newspaper (1/4 mile) before having coffee and breakfast quickly changed to having the coffee and breakfast first.

5. FreeCell is really fun and challenging!

6. I like to wash the dishes every morning. It cleans my fingernails and warms up my hands!

7. I eat lunch out more often than I used to.

8. It’s really fun to stay in bed some mornings and watch an episode of Lost or Boston Legal that I’ve recorded. It feels decadent!

9. A not-yet-retired husband still wants to grocery shop and go to Costco on Saturdays.

10. The “exercise everyday” resolution quickly went the way of the newspaper before breakfast one.
11. My house is tidier and cleaner now though not nearly as spotless as I had planned.

12. It’s cheaper to be retired. I am not tempted to donate to coworkers’ children’s fund raisers or to buy gifts for every birthday and occasion. And I drink my own coffee rather than buying it.

13. I was afraid I wouldn’t have anything to talk about with my husband at the end of the day, but I have plenty. For one thing, I can now read the entire paper before he gets home and there’s plenty of fodder there.

14. It took me 3 months to come up with a new routine that helped me remember to brush my teeth!

15. I heard a retiree say that you don’t know how good the weather is in the Pacific NW until you’re retired. He was absolutely right. When you are sitting behind a desk the only weather you are aware of is what happens on the weekends. For instance, the sun is shining right now, but if I was in an office I would hardly notice it except for longing to be out in it.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

So, what time do you get up in the morning? And is it easier to get motivated? My fear is when I don't have to work, I won't get up in the morning, because that's what happens now. I take every opportunity to sleep.

Anonymous said...

So, I now found out I can post using my Live Journal handle...this is Wendy...