February 9, 2012
Dear Everyone:
One of the things I love about being Unemployed
(spelled “R-E-T-I-R-E-D”) is being able to do whatever you want (within
reason, of course) pretty much whenever you want.
I needed some birdseed.
So I went to the hardware store.
Just got into the car and went to the hardware
store. Just like that.
No, “I’ll stop on the way home after work.”
No, “I’ll add this to the list of things-to-do-this-weekend.”
Just went. Now that’s
freedom. Not that I’m
gloating, or anything.
It’s amazing what you can find in a hardware store
these days. Just last
weekend, “Jeannie”, our niece, “Liza”, and I were in a hardware store,
looking for stuff to put “Jeannie’s” new curtains up in the dining room.
When what should I see but a plastic holder for a small sign, or
placard. The sort that you
would put in front of a display, like “Two for the price of one.”
It happens to be something I had been looking for
to use for ARMA (we have a “seminar” coming up.)
And, as I recall, some of the things “Jeannie” got were of the
“impulse shopping” variety.
This time, I spotted one of those
fluffy-duster-on-the-end-of-a-long-stick things.
Great for getting
cobwebs off the ceiling.
Had one ages ago, forget whatever happened to it.
Been wanting one for years.
The only real question was:
Fuchsia or
Teal?
And I ran into a former coworker.
In the hardware store.
When I challenged what he thought he was doing out-and-about in
the middle of the week, he claimed to be on “vacation”.
I remember “vacation”.
That was time off, for a short while, with a distinct deadline
(so many days until I have to go back to work.)
On the upside: You
still got paid.
Retirement is a lot like “vacation” only without
the deadline (upside); but also, without the paycheck (downside.)
On the other hand, I have a whole list of books that I kept
saying I would read “when I’m retired and have the time.”
Well, now I have the time.
Yesterday I decided to ignore pretty much everything and read a
book. By evening, I realized
that I had read over 250 pages.
Of course, it was a paperback, so the pages aren’t necessarily
that long. Nevertheless,
almost 300 pages in “one sitting.”
No unwashed laundry waiting.
No overdue reports.
Yes, there are cobwebs, but I have a duster now.
And all the time in the world to do what I want to do.
Not that I’m gloating, or anything.
Love, as always,
Pete
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