Technically, my first day of retirement was Friday, but that doesn’t count because I spent the day still feeling totally shell-shocked. It seemed more like a long weekend than the beginning of a new life.
Today, however, is the first day of the first full week of retirement, and I know you’re all wondering how I spent it. Even if you’re not, I’m going to tell you.
Imagine my surprise when my husband informed me early in the morning that he was taking half a day off as he hadn’t slept the night before. Say what? My first full day of freedom, and I have to share it?
Well, so be it. Freedom just had to start a few hours later.
It was just as well. Going online, I discovered that the nearest local library doesn’t open until 1:00 pm on Mondays, and top on my list for my new life was getting a library card. No longer can I afford to buy paperback books every week. I am fortunate that we have a number of public libraries within easy driving distance.
So, first task today – get a new library card.
I last had a card many years ago when my children were small, and the local library has changed a bit. So many computer kiosks! And they now have self-checkout just like the grocery store! No more watching the librarian scan my books and wondering if she’s judging me by the types of reading material I choose!
Second task – stock up on wine to hold me over during the next couple of months. Fortunately, my favorite wine shop is having a huge sale on the kind of wine I buy anyway – and the manufacturer is offering rebates. For a small initial outlay (about $40), I’ll get $14 in rebates – and I have enough wine to last quite awhile if I use a slightly smaller glass. I suppose some people would say I’m borderline alcoholic for having used a small portion of my last paycheck to stock up on wine – but hey, we all have priorities.
Third task – car wash. I still have the monthly unlimited tag, so there was no outlay for that. I did, however, skip the drying lane afterwards and saved myself the $2 tip. (Woo-hoo, right?)
Throughout today’s travels, however, the one thing that kept bugging me was that I still felt like I was playing hooky from work and constantly expected someone to blow me into The Boss. (“You know, she wasn’t really sick – I saw her coming out of the liquor store.”) I had to keep reminding my self that I have a right to go wherever I want, whenever I want, and don’t have to answer to anyone anymore. That’s pretty cool.
Tomorrow I intend to catch up on some of those household chores that are so hard to do while working full-time. That’s my intention. We’ll see how that goes.
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Images by Cordelia’s Mom
Cordelia's Mom, Still 
Happy Retirement! Make sure you have some Me time.
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Absolutely!
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Hey, Give yourself a break. Your still on the “got to get er done” mode. You need to wind down and relax. You have tomorrow and the next day and the next. No one is watching anymore…. Did I tell you I am jealous… lololol
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I know. I need to channel my inner teen so I can just chill out all day.
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Niiice 😀 Enjoy it, and keep telling us how you enjoy it!
I’m not crazy about the self-scans at the library. I miss when the librarians would talk about books. The computers never say, “OH, you’ll love this one!”
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True,. but the computer also won’t raise its eyebrows and purse its lips if I check out something like Shades of Gray.
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Haha!
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Most libraries (mine does) still keep a librarian or two, mostly for old, technophobe grumps like me. Insist on speaking to, and being spoken to by one. Damn the smart-phones! Full speed ahead….uh, back, to real human contact. 😀
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Hi, Archon. Wondered if you’re around as I haven’t heard from you in awhile.
Yes, I believe the library may become my newest favorite place. I’d forgotten how much they have there.
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Big shock here? No library cards. It’s all done by computer.
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I insisted on a “real” library card. They wanted to just give me a keychain tag.
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Enjoy the early days. Many people end up very busy in retirement.
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Thanks, Dan. I’ll enjoy it while I can, but I suspect I’ll be looking for some kind of job come the first of the year. My savings won’t last much longer than that.
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Oh just think of all the things you can do now! I must admit I am a bit green but my day too shall come, which comes with a price in my case however… It will come. Aim for the sky and then surpass even that. So very happy for you, CM!! Congrats! 👏👏👏👏👏
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Thanks, Amy. I’ll enjoy the time off while I can. I just wish I had a little more cash so I could meet friends for lunch or travel a bit, but it was a trade-off I was willing to accept in order to save my health and my sanity.
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