Retired for a year

After a year of retirement, and most of that time at home, I have noticed a couple of things that shouldn’t have but did surprise me.

I spend more on groceries because I usually eat three meals a day at home. I rarely go out to eat, even at lunch. It is awkward to sit alone in any restaurant, I think. I reserve eating out for when family or friends are around. Eating at home, and not wanting to use paper plates much, I also have many more dishes to do. I have a new dishwasher and run it a couple of times each week. And I drink my own coffee instead of grabbing a cup at Dunkin’ Donuts which means I save money, which is important being on a fixed income and all, but I do use a lot of coffee.

By the way, is anyone on anything other than a fixed income ever in their lives? What the hell does that mean exactly, since old folks are always yelling it at public meetings? When was I ever on a flexible income?

I have a lot more clothes to wash. In this hot weather I may sweat through one outfit consisting of shorts and a T-shirt before afternoon working on my home improvement chores. I may also use up another set by bedtime if I’m biking/fishing/swimming in the afternoon or evening. I use beach towels like they are going out of style. When I worked I had a suit for every day and took it to the cleaners maybe once a month. Mostly sedentary work in air conditioning did not mess up my clothes too much. So, I do, at least, two and possibly three washes each week. I try to dry as much as possible on the line in good weather.

Apparently, I mess the house quite quickly hanging around all day. Sometimes there is nothing I can do except make a mess like when I am pulling out old windows for repair and painting but sometimes it seems my very presence means the house gets dirtier sooner than it used to when I went out to work every day.

Don’t get me wrong: I love my house. I enjoy being home. But sometimes it seems like a self fulfilling reality: I have to be home to clean all the mess I make by being home.