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Tuesday, October 13, 2020

Retirement Day 2

What day is it?  Who knows and who cares.  Welp, my work email was wiped from my phone officially on Saturday - thank goodness.  Unfortunately, they seem to have 'accidentally' swept out some of my personal contacts as well.  There was not one call or email bidding me adieu - after snuffling around, wallowing in self-pity for fifteen minutes, I pulled up the BGPs and throught, "it is way past time to wrest the apron strings from the mothership."  I'm ready for my next adventures.  However, all my adventures so far have been involved in dealing with government agencies.  I've been mired in calls with the Social Security Admin, Medicare program add-ons, 401K hooha.  While I have actually spoken to people(s) about my SS, it is still in limbo.  And it is not helpful that every single person I've talked to, who has retired this year, told me their benefits kicked in right away.  That was pre-Covid.  It's a different reality now.  I am at 45 days and processing seems to be stuck on Step 2.  After macheteing my way through the totally dysfunctional jungle of the local SSA phone system, I finally got a person who was helpful.  My coverage will kick in on November 1, so I won't be faced with a gap.  Now, I have to call back the AARP person who has been waiting to help me navigate the stormy sea of Medicare gap coverage.  OMG.  I tell you, being a member of AARP definitely has its benefits.  I am also on a first-name basis with the 401K guy - I know that he's married, lives in Ohio, has two dogs and a cat, likes the area but plays it down to his friends from the East Coast.  I must generate motherly vibes.  If your mother was Phyllis Diller, that is.

My sleep patterns are all over the place BUT, miraculously (or not), the worst of my anxiety dreams went "poof" after Friday.  I doubt if that will last, but it is a very nice mental vacation.  I do know that I need to set up some kind of structure to my days or I will turn furry and feral, lapse into my Neanderthal genes and start imagining two-way conversations with the dogs.


I was able to harvest greens (kale and chard) and get a bunch of herbs hung and drying before the heavy rains hit.  I am still hoping to get more thyme dried, as I use the heck out of it.

I'm glad I had time to enjoy the week of lovely foliage before we were hit by a fast-moving storm that topped trees, tossed power lines like linguine in clam sauce and ripped all the leaves off.  We have been in need of rain, but it would have been more helpful in July and August.  Besides gleaning what I can from the garden, I've been putting in hour shifts - getting the fence down and rolled up for the year, yoinking the tomato plants out, etc.

The dogs and cat have seamlessly melded into my retirement routine - or unroutine.  I believe that, if I counted, I pick up fleece blankets and re-cover furry bodies at least 50 times a day.  Peanut will bounce off the sofa, dragging his blanket behind, then bounce back, curl into a tight, pathetic ball, and stare at me with his beady little eyes.  Lovey is more verbal - soft whines and heavy sighs.  Obediently, I stagger over and pick up blankets and tuck them back in.  I may go mad.

The life.

"Slimmie" (snort)


I am still working away on the little stuffies - five bunnies down and I'm working on a pig in a dress.  


On Sunday, I had a celebratory dinner with my sister and mother - Connie made the BEST shrimp risotto I have ever eaten, followed by a delectable apple crisp - warm from the oven.  Heaven.  I have been so glad that soup season is upon us, because I have been wanting to make a recipe that sailed past the eyeballs last week - Vegan Curried Pumpkin Lentil Soup.  It did not disappoint - as a matter of fact, I was making little happy noises as I ate it.  It was that good.  There is no picture because it is not a photogenic soup.  You can find the recipe here.

So, ready or not, retirement, here I come.


21 comments:

jaz@octoberfarm said...

welcome to retirement! it's amazing how fast one adjusts! we still have not had rain.

Mama Pea said...

I've been thinking about you so much lately and wondering how THE BIG ADJUSTMENT has been going. Now I know and have to say it sounds like you're adapting very well. I know you'll get the perfect routine in place soon, but will still have mucho trouble finding enough time in the day to do everything you want to do. And that's the way a happy life should be!

Susan said...

Routine is everything in the retirement life -so I've heard. I haven't achieved it myself. Or perhaps I have, it just looks like a routine a 5yr old would choose. In fact prioritizing like a five yr old might be the best advice I can pass on to you.

Ed said...

After most people I know get through with all the paperwork, they start enjoying retirement. A select few however decide they like the paperwork so go back to working for awhile longer before going through it all again.

Michelle said...

YAY; no gap! Mayhaps the doggos just feel you need a new purpose in life? At least they aren't chewing holes in said fleecy blankets like a certain little rat terrier.

When Rick's sister was here last month, I found out that little Rosie and her parents have moved. I had you send her bunny to an old address. I hope whoever took possession of the adorable stuffy needed precisely that little lift to their spirits in this difficult time.

tpals said...

FYI: I still have dreams of the old workplace three years later, but it no longer affects my blood pressure. Oh, those animals! We make good servants.

Debra She Who Seeks said...

Welcome to the Retirement Club! I'm in Year 3 now and loving every second of it! But you're right, the initial paperwork and bureaucracy to get benefits coverage switched over from work to private plans are a pain in the ass, but once it's done, it's clear sailing after that! Enjoy!

Debby said...

We had a glitch in our social security payments and "due to covid" we couldn't get it resolved with a live person at SS so we had to go to our Congressman as a go-between. SSA said we owed $3500 and would not be paying us for 3 months so we had to jump on it asap. So far so good - we have stalled it while they investigate.

Joanne Noragon said...

I don't recall retiring. I suppose I just slid into everything. But, I'm here for longer than some people have been alive, and welcome to you.

Nancy In Boise said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
coffeeontheporchwithme said...

Oh, so much "paperwork" to navigate, but I doubt it is on any actual paper. You are making me nervous, as I am going to be embarking on the same ship in January. I had to smile at your being a slave to your animals. My chickens wait for me to fill up their outdoor water container after work when they have a perfectly good bucket of water inside the coop. Oh, and I also deal with the dent in the top of the catfood, too.-Jenn

Goatldi said...

Congrats to all concerned. Your life sounds about like mine except for the blanket hop . My critters even in the dark of winter aren't blanketed. I know bad dogma. However I did make up for by talking to the Dude on the eve of his clip and chip tomorrow how sorry I am he can't eat anything after midnight and how he will survive. Most of which was met with blank stares and a very vocal meow as the girl cats were munching on their wet food (try getting 15 year old to 20 year old renal kitties on dry food) and was demanding his last meal until tomorrow night NOW thank you.

I have dutifully sent a link to this post to my sister so she can take copious notes as she is if all goes well about seven months behind you but the offer has progress in the works now thankyouverymuch.

Leigh said...

Wow! Congratulations? I tried to call our local SS office last week and they have the phone menus set up so that you can never reach a real person, unless you have a name or extension. If you don't know, you're outta luck. All buttons lead to "good-bye" and being hung up on. Hopefully, the frustrating parts are behind you now.

I love the little stuffies! So cute.

Nancy In Boise said...

Congrats on your retirement! At least you won't have the long commute and your doggies are probably really loving you having you at home. Can your dog is where sweaters around the house instead of covering them up with blankets? I know my cat likes to bury yourself under blankets on a daily basis even in the summer! I hope their retirement system is it is get set up better tell people like you navigate the system. I wonder if there's a lot more people retiring early, which I have heard on the news, especially teachers and School staff. I have a few more years to retire still and Dave and I keep arguing about when that's going to be since he wants me to work a little bit later and I of course don't want to. It's funny when you talk to people about when to retire and how to retire you try to get all of this stuff set up. Then I read an article the other day that there's just never a perfect time because things are always changing and way so you can't predict. I read that article pre-covid and there you go. I always figured I could go back to the school district and work part-time but given current times who knows if that will ever be an option in a few years?

Marcia LaRue said...

Your Stuffies are absolutely adorable!! I can't imagine knitting and/or crocheting something so small ... my fingers would be cramping up! LOL Of course, they could be a source of income if you were to post them in an Etsy shop ... you may need a little back-up, depending on what your SS looks like and how much is taken out of your check to pay for your health insurance!

ellen abbott said...

my SS and medicare deliberations were a breeze. mainly because only two companies offered supplemental plans in my county and my brother-in-law worked for one of them and he sorted it out for me.

lazy unstructured days are the whole point of retirement! having time to do what you want instead of what you have to do.

linnellnickerson@gmail.com said...

Love your knitted animals their are cute. Looks like a fun project!! Your animals look very happy! It takes awhile to get use to , but retirement is a good thing, but Mama PEA IS RIGHT. IT'S STILL HARD TO FIND TIME TO do all that you want to do. Seems like your adjusting well! Take care!

Charlotte Boord said...

"little happy noises" as you ate...I love that!

Theresa Y said...

And here I was thinking Slimmie was truly a tiny thing. Weeelllll.... She puts my Punkerpuss to shame. (Heh, Heh). Congrats on your retirement and enjoy some new adventures.

www.self-sufficientsam.blogspot.com said...

I'm so happy for you!!! Don't feel bad...when I retired and went to HR to sign off they politely informed me that if I ever returned wanting employment I would not be hired back under any circumstances! Huh? I had some closing words for HR but then I figured they weren't worth the effort. No cards, no cake, and definitely no gold watch!
Yes, retirement is an adventure and I'm wondering why I didn't do it sooner! You will love it once you "unwind" from the work world and the tredmill that they had us all on. What is the temperature in your house that the animals need blankets? LOL! I understand the little ones....my dachsund used to shiver but the Rottweiler gave me a look of disgust when I tried to cover her when we had our ice storm and no heat. I know Annie used to do that....get up and come back and try to cover herself...so I would get up and cover her. Enjoy them...I miss mine so much. They will love it that you are home 24/7!
I hate paperwork and all the calls back and forth but once it is taken care of you can sit back and enjoy. So, what are your plans? Curious minds want to know!

www.self-sufficientsam.blogspot.com said...

P.S. Your little bunny is so cute!!!