This is a blog ostensibly about my taking early retirement after a 30+ year career as a law librarian. Since starting the blog in November of 2014, I have expanded the original scope from financial issues (i.e. pension, social security, 401(k), alimony) to discussions of politics, current events, music, and mostly life's comical ironies. I always try to return the focus to those serious issues that are germain to seniors, but my strong need for displays of irreverence and imbecility are often more dominant! So do join me as I encounter the highs, lows, pitfalls, and other challenges that will present themselves as we settle early into what I'm still told are the GOLDEN YEARS. Your comments are not only welcomed but encouraged. Thanks for stopping by!
Our brains are full! Inspiration is so rampant that ideas are literally colliding with each other! Okay, okay, not really. The truth is the Royal We have decided that it’s time to take a hiatus from blogging pursuits. Or as we used to say as kids this time of year, Summer Vacation. We’ll return in … More Hiatus
These are days of upheaval and transition. Yes, yes, the country is suffering from a buffoon in the White House. But I’m literally speaking about matters much closer to home– namely my own. We’re moving to our “forever home” in about two weeks, and the conditions in our current one are a mite lax. Specifically I’m … More Greasy Confessions
There is current discussion on whether our president has a complete grasp and understanding for the necessities required to fulfill the duties of his office. In particular, his awareness of the need for caution, restraint, and discretion. I can sort of relate to his predicament. Many years ago someone rather high in my workplace had a habit of … More The Art of Being Out of One’s Depth
Dear Mortgage Broker: please know that you’ve gotten all from us that you possibly can. I think there’s an old statement savings book from 1974 that I still haven’t sent you, and there’s always our birth and marriage certificates. But the well is dry, Honey. We really haven’t got any more information to send you. We … More Paper Chase
“Every cloud must have a silver lining Just wait until the sun shines through Smile, my honey dear, while I kiss away each tear Or else I shall be melancholy too”¹ On a long drive last week, I listened to an NPR story about the uphill battle for survival that the Sears department store is facing. The … More Melancholy Retail: Where America Shopped
I recently stepped into the home of a man who owns an incredibly impressive audio system sitting front and center in his living room. He had the largest set of speakers I have ever seen outside of a commercial establishment. Overkill? Perhaps, but they were a thing of beauty, encased in custom-made teak cabinets which in turn matched the modern Scandinavian decor of his … More Never Mind Stella, I Want *MY* Groove Back
Let’s talk serendipity, shall we? I am amazed at the moment at how some obstacles are smoothed out simply by doing nothing. It’s the ultimate reward for procrastinators or those caught in what we in polite society refer to as “circumstances.” Naturally, it doesn’t happen very often. But when it does, I see it as a strike against all those authority … More What? Me Worry?
I traveled to Arizona last week to spend a few days with my oldest sister. I haven’t seen her since the death of her husband last summer, and so it was time to check in on her in person to see how she’s doing. We keep in touch regularly, but it really is important to actually make an effort to be … More Cacti, Baseball, And One Very Cool Apollonia: A Visit to Arizona
I’m always late to the party. It’s not that I’m incapable of lying. It’s just that my lies are mostly of the white variety designed not to hurt anyone’s feelings. “No, no, you’ve got it all wrong. Yes, your hairdresser did cut more off than probably necessary, but it actually makes you look younger. Thinner even!” My lies … More Missing My Calling: The New Honesty
Right in the middle of making popcorn one evening last week the phone rang. A perfect example of snack interruptus. As I continue to mend from a recent surgery, snacks are pretty much the only excitement I have at the moment. The call was from our accountant and her timing couldn’t have been worse. The new season of “Humans” was just about to start, and I … More Tax Refunds and Stress Tests: An Early Retirement Milestone
