Hey, almost to milestone post #50…….haven’t had a comment in at least a month, but the posts will keep on coming.
The six month mark seemed to be a good time to make an initial assessment of this retired life.
Overall, I approve!
Certainly not missing being part of the full time workforce, and very much enjoying ownership of my daily and weekly schedule. Some relevant thoughts:
- Six months ago it was cold, there was snow on the ground with much more to come, no leaves on the trees, the house was pretty bare of furniture, golf was not an option, and a third of the community was out-of-town, mostly in Florida. Didn’t know there were so many snowbirds in TN.
- At this very moment I’m upstairs typing while outside I can see two deer on the golf course grazing, and a foursome of golfers slowly driving by watching them. Yesterday afternoon I was doing some lightweight yardwork and two sets of deer went dashing by about 30 feet from me.
- This past week: two rounds of golf, two workouts, a medical appointment, a Naval Academy Alumni luncheon in Knoxville, two July 4th gatherings, church, and watching the Elvis movie with Beth. 🙂
- We started building our retirement home 16 months ago after a four-month delay. If we were to ask the same builder to start building a home here for us today, they wouldn’t be able to start for almost 30 months from now.
- Though not directly related to the retired life….logistics/supply challenges in the news over the past 18 months are quite real and have direct impacts on daily life. Year-long delays in furniture/appliance availability made fitting out of the new home a protracted process.
- Six months ago the stock market was about 20 per cent higher and inflation was reported as very “short-term temporary”. And the nest egg was bigger. Gas was about a dollar per gallon cheaper. Cash flow was a little different than originally projected, so consideration for potential part time work is back into play, and we may turn SS on sooner than anticipated.
- It’s going to get better!
- Travel has been limited to several short road trips. I may end up going the entire year without taking a flight. Probably haven’t done that since the early 70s.
- On the other hand, have already watched four Braves games live this year, which is a record for me. And we’re only halfway through the 2022 season.
- Health-wise, we’re trying to continue with mostly plant-based meals and maintain consistent exercise routines, read up on medical trends, and keep up with recommended screenings, etc. But I haven’t been able to get rid of my golfer’s elbow. Going to have to break down and get some formal physical therapy.
- Our favorite thing to do is have a glass of wine out on the porch each evening and enjoy listening/watching nature.
- Have reconnected with several old friends and made a few new ones here locally. Getting to know the local area, but we haven’t really gone exploring locally. Lots of natural wonders in the area. So far our only visitors have been family.