Sometimes ... most times actually ... things don't turn out quite as you had planned them.
When my contract at Giant Pharmaceutical Company ended last June, I decided I was going to take the opportunity to see what it would be like if I were to retire. A sort of trial run.
In the beginning, things were great. Summer was just taking hold and I started to take morning walks. Projects that had been put on hold were taken up again ... and completed. There was an opportunity to take a trip to visit my Mother one last time.
And then Summer ended. Jan went back to work and I was left to hold the fort down during the day. I continued with the early morning walks until it became too cold ... and too damned dark to see where I was going. Monday's were "housecleaning day". I made dinner every night. Clothes had to be washed. To get out of the house, I'd make up errands that needed to be run. Have you ever been to Walmart in the middle of the morning on a weekday ... when everyone else is at work? The clientele leaves something to be desired. But then you think, "why I'm right here among them ... I'm the same as they are."
Chilling.
I became desperate to keep busy. I emptied the basement of 24 years of accumulated furniture and garbage. The Cancer Federation, Salvation Army and Goodwill became frequent visitors to cart away the boxes of donations. I watched all 27 episodes of "Trailer Park Boys". I started to put together a 1/64th scale model of a B-24 Liberator bomber. I pretended to be interested in Revolutionary War history.
I roamed the house, stared out the windows and became suddenly fascinated by the neighbors comings and goings.
I started to lose my mind.
And then ... just before Thanksgiving ... Giant Pharmaceutical House called and wanted me back. And I started working again several weeks ago.
When someone tells you, or you read an article advising you that you had better be prepared and have a plan for something to keep you occupied when you retire.
It's no joke.
December 20, 2011
December 06, 2011
Tuesday Musings
Thoughts and other mental trash on a Tuesday morning ...
Door To Door: We discontinued our land line telephone service over a year ago. And with that done, the telemarketing calls ended. No one knows our cell phone numbers and we're on the "no-call" list, so it's been nice. That is until recently. Telemarketers are striking back by showing up at the front door at dinner time. The door bell activity has really started to get annoying in the last month. In just one evening last week, someone came to the door five times ... after dark. I didn't answer it until the last one, when I'd had enough. Turned out, it was someone from AT&T and when I asked them if it had been them that had come to the door the other four, separate times, they sheepishly admitted that it had been. I shut the door in their face.
Pick Me: As some of you are aware, I'm an outside contractor and have periods of time in-between employment. I'm also getting up there in age. And I hate interviews. So, I had a really fun time last Friday interviewing with a potential employer. Two hours of defending my experience ... and my age. And now the waiting to see if I was good enough. I can't wait to just retire.
Don't Know Much About History: On the subject of American History, schools have always loaded it up heavy on the front end and have run out of time by the end of the school year to even get to the Civil War. This always frustrated me. Who cared about the fucking Pilgrims and the morass of shit that happened in the 18th and early 19th centuries. I don't recommend books very often, but I just finished two of them by a guy named Ted Morgan, who actually makes these time periods interesting. His books are titled "Wilderness At Dawn" and "A Shovel Of Stars".
Proud To Live In Illinois: Tomorrow, the fourth Illinois Governor will be sentenced to prison for betraying the public trust. Rod Blagojevich (Blah-goy-ah-vitch) will join his predecessor, George Ryan, behind bars. Rod is eligible for a life sentence, but the current Vegas line is 12 to 15 years. If this isn't the most corrupt state in the Union ... well, I'd be hard pressed to name another one.
Jingle Bells: It's way more fun to shop online than it is to go to the stores. Period.
Politically Incorrect: Andrea Bocelli needs to open his eyes when he's singing. I don't care if he is blind, he reminds me of Michael McDonald, except he doesn't appear to be eating his microphone, as McDonald did.
Door To Door: We discontinued our land line telephone service over a year ago. And with that done, the telemarketing calls ended. No one knows our cell phone numbers and we're on the "no-call" list, so it's been nice. That is until recently. Telemarketers are striking back by showing up at the front door at dinner time. The door bell activity has really started to get annoying in the last month. In just one evening last week, someone came to the door five times ... after dark. I didn't answer it until the last one, when I'd had enough. Turned out, it was someone from AT&T and when I asked them if it had been them that had come to the door the other four, separate times, they sheepishly admitted that it had been. I shut the door in their face.
Pick Me: As some of you are aware, I'm an outside contractor and have periods of time in-between employment. I'm also getting up there in age. And I hate interviews. So, I had a really fun time last Friday interviewing with a potential employer. Two hours of defending my experience ... and my age. And now the waiting to see if I was good enough. I can't wait to just retire.
Don't Know Much About History: On the subject of American History, schools have always loaded it up heavy on the front end and have run out of time by the end of the school year to even get to the Civil War. This always frustrated me. Who cared about the fucking Pilgrims and the morass of shit that happened in the 18th and early 19th centuries. I don't recommend books very often, but I just finished two of them by a guy named Ted Morgan, who actually makes these time periods interesting. His books are titled "Wilderness At Dawn" and "A Shovel Of Stars".
Proud To Live In Illinois: Tomorrow, the fourth Illinois Governor will be sentenced to prison for betraying the public trust. Rod Blagojevich (Blah-goy-ah-vitch) will join his predecessor, George Ryan, behind bars. Rod is eligible for a life sentence, but the current Vegas line is 12 to 15 years. If this isn't the most corrupt state in the Union ... well, I'd be hard pressed to name another one.
Jingle Bells: It's way more fun to shop online than it is to go to the stores. Period.
Politically Incorrect: Andrea Bocelli needs to open his eyes when he's singing. I don't care if he is blind, he reminds me of Michael McDonald, except he doesn't appear to be eating his microphone, as McDonald did.
Bocelli
McDonald
Or maybe he does.
Just Say No: Don't leave me any nasty comments about the above. I'll just ignore them.
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