Tuesday, December 21, 2010

If my pill box says "T" it must be Tuesday

When I was working, I always knew what day it was. Even during vacations, I retained a sense of time. Now that I'm retired (for a whole 11 days), my days are a daze.

We've had two snow storms that threw off everyone's schedules. And Abby and Eric have two weeks off from school, so the grandkids are home with them. I found myself checking the weather for Tuesday and Thursday, when I've been driving Augie to preschool, and then realizing that I won't be doing that again until January.

Here are a few other things I've noticed about my new life phase.

1. I figured I'd have lots of time to do Christmas stuff--bake cookies, decorate the house, write cards, etc. I have trimmed the tree--always a major undertaking. But we decided to simplify the decorating of the house, and I don't feel motivated to bake. The cards are definitely on my to-do-soon list. Along with gift-wrapping.

2. I'm now responsible for making dinner. I know how to sit down and come up with a concept for a brochure, but it's been years since I planned a meal. I need to read some cookbooks to kickstart that part of my brain, then make some choices and make up a grocery list. (I've seen a couple of nice recipes online that got me interested, so that's a place to start.)

3. I have some groovy new toys:

  • Peter's company bought a couple of iPads, and since he doesn't use his all the time, I get to borrow it. Wow... I never thought I'd want one until I sat down with it. I love it. It will definitely be the subject of a future post. 
  • He bought me a new camera for Christmas. It's a Canon super-zoom, a compact camera with a powerful lens so I can take better photos of the birds in the backyard. I just had to open it early, because we had a yard full of birds. Then we got a ton of snow, which dramatically shortened the distance between the ground and the bird feeder. The squirrels realized they could jump right up, and they sent out the word to half the squirrels in the city. The birds disappeared until yesterday, when we raised the level of the feeder. So I'm back in business. Another subject for future posts! 
  • Tap shoes! We found a great source of used shoes for the kids, and they love them. I ordered some for me, fearing that I'd never find a comfortable pair for my long narrow feet. They came yesterday, and I LOVE THEM. I still need to find a DVD or online source of tap lessons. I was searching a couple of weeks ago when zombies attacked my computer.

4. I'm spending a LOT of time doing paperwork to arrange health care coverage for Peter and me. Q: How many times do I need to submit the same information to different units of the same company? A. Four doesn't seem to be enough. Maybe five will do it.

5. I'm also spending tons of time changing my email address contact information for dozens of accounts. Yes, I should have used a personal account instead of my work account from the beginning. But I didn't. And yes, I should have started switching a couple of years ago. But I didn't. I was able to keep my work account for the next several months (because it provides access to information I may need in order to do some freelance work or just help my former colleagues figure things out). But I quickly realized that I don't want to spend a lot of time on that account, because it draws me back into the work world.

6. I need to reorganize all my spaces. Starting with my office. I have places for my fabric projects and my photo projects, and a lot of old papers from work and the carousel and whatnot. But I have a huge collection of electronic stuff--cameras, iPod, the iPad, a digital voice recorder, etc., and accompanying cables, batteries, manuals, cleaning materials, carrying cases, etc, mostly living on a messy shelf and in a box in the office closet, under a bunch of kids' toys. Not to mention that my bedroom closet is full of work clothes I won't wear again. That's a project for summer.

That's it for today. I have to go make some phone calls about health coverage. Wish me luck.

.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm frustrated by health care coverage paperwork too! Ugh. It's always so weird to be out of the regular schedule too... Today I found that I was hungry for lunch at 11:30am, even though I had eaten breakfast at 8:30. My kids' lunch time is 11:25, and it's so funny to me how my body stays on that schedule.

http://howtobecomeacatladywithoutthecats.blogspot.com said...

Even with my pill box I have trouble remembering what day it is! Have fun playing with your new iPad and camera and enjoy your holidays! (Now you can tap dance around the Christmas tree!)

Lo said...

Yes, yes, I remember that awful go-round to get the health insurance settled but once all that is done it should be loverly. I can only hope that you love retirement as much as I do.

Nezzy (Cow Patty Surprise) said...

Yep, I sure hear ya sister. As a Special Ed. teacher I wrote the day of the week on the board every blessed day. Now I find myself checkin' the fax machine or computer to make sure I'm up to date! Heeehehe!!!

Funny, I thought when I retired I'd have all this spare time but I seem to have no time at all.

The Ponderosa is a busy place to run, I have an elderly MIL I watch over, eight grandkiddos, pre~teen Sunday School class, Kid's Church director......whew, sometimes I wonder how I ever found time to teach! Heeehehehe!

God bless ya and have an awesome day sweetie!!!

Kitty Moore said...

Looking forward to seeing the photos you've been taking with your new camera!

Indigo Roth said...

Hey Nancy! I've been a bit absent these past few weeks, but CONGRATULATIONS on your retirement. Not that there'll be much that's retiring about it, by the sound of it. Try to remember to slow down and enjoooooy it x

Jeanie said...

Your whole post makes it sound to me like your retirement is agreeing with you. The whole health coverage thing sounds like a big chore, but one you will conquer I'm sure.

Jenny said...

Dancing is a must, the camera will open your view of the world, ipod I don't know, etc. REtirement is woderful. Some days I just sit and watch the birds and that is okay. I found a great blogger friend in Marie on The English Kitchen. She gives me wonderful recipes every morning in her blog. She is listed on blogs I follow in my blog. Take care of yourself. <:3 Jenny

#1Nana said...

This December marks two years since I retired...and I still have those suits hanging in my closet! There was so much moiney invested in my clothing I couldn't bring myself to get rid of. i keep thinking, what if I get a part time job? What I should be thinking is, if I'm foolish enough to go back to work I deserve a new wardrobe!

gayle said...

You got lots to keep you busy!

DJan said...

I want to hear about the iPad. I keep my iPod Touch in my pocket and would really miss being able to reach in and pull it out and you cant do that with the iPad. How do you like the keyboard?

I know the days of the week still here in retirement because I think which gym class goes with which day. And once I got on the Medicare.gov site to compare plans, I chose one and registered on line. I've already got my new card and hope we like this Advantage plan we signed up with.

Linda Myers said...

Tap shoes - what a wonderful idea!

Sounds like you have a multitude of possibilities for your time. The best part is that you get to choose what you do, no matter what day it is.

grammy said...

what a great post with lots of news from your life (o:
It will be fun seeing pictures and hearing about your new life...
I am still camera challenged...oh how I would love to really take great pictures. Maybe someday I will learn...if I would only study the instruction book...

Leah Rubin said...

Oh no, not the daily pill box! I've been shunning that like the pox! My hub, the Center of the Universe has used one for years, and I consider it the slippery slope to velcro tennis shoes and no night driving!

So you and I really are remarkably alike-- fabric projects and tap shoes... It's cool that you got tap shoes for the kids, too!


Can't wait to see your new bird shots-- love to watch them at our house, too!

xoxoxoo,

L.

Marion Williams-Bennett said...

So, here I sit at work the day before Christmas..and I wonder that same wondering question "What would I do if I didnt' have to work?"

Inspired ideas here! What a wonderful new time of your life.

best of everything to you this Christmas and in the new year!

Pearl said...

Seems the more time you have, the less you get done, doesn't it?

Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year to you and yours.

Pearl

Paul C said...

Yes, a lot of reorganization with retirement. My wife and I found that we ended up also doing some major purging of stuff we had accumulated. Merry Christmas. It sounds like an exciting new chapter.

Anonymous said...

Patty and I just switched from Etna Medicare to Anthem Medicare and it took a while to do it.

I loved reading about your iPad. I would love to have one as I like to read a lot but don't know if one will get here for Christmas or not. My son, in Florida, sent me a box by UPS and my wife opened it and then wrapped it and I still don't know what it is. I am gonna find out first thing in the morning though. lol

I told my 10-year old granddaughter to get up at five and we would both open a present together and she said she was.

We still have snow on the ground. And more on the way tonight and tomorrow. Maybe 3 inches.

I use a bungee cord, or two, hooked together and hung over a branch in the oak tree. Then the bird feeder it small so the squirrel can't really perch on it and eat. The other one has a round metal shield we got at Tractor Supply. It acts like a gotta-go-round-me thing and the squirrels can't so that works.

In the end, though, we feed them a lot of raw peanuts and also peanuts in the shell, which they prefer. The females are probably already pregnant or will get pregnant and I want to keep them healthy for the new generation of squirrels to come along. Been doing this here since 1962.

Merry Christmas to you and your family from me and Patty.

Far Side of Fifty said...

You will adjust..but it make take some time..I hope you had a wonderful Christmas! I would take it slow and easy on that cooking..or you will be stuck with it all the time:)

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