I am not a person who thrives on a lot of activity. I like to be able to focus on a couple of things at a time and master them well. However, I've been trying to push myself out of my comfort zone and I've definitely succeeded. Here are some of things that are keeping me busy.
I decided to go for a new job and yesterday I found out that I actually got an interview. EEK! It's been decades since I've been to a "real" interview and it's got me flustered. What to wear, what to say, etc. It will all work out, but until it does, my mind is pretty busy with thoughts of it.
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| Fun stuff. The robin's eggs are hatching. After this picture was taken the third on hatched. |
And as we're evaluating all of our finances, we're thinking about what needs to be done to the house and what we can afford or not if we lose Ward's salary. And as part of that we have been working with different contractors and architects to get ideas for both construction ideas and costs. Evaluating to see what might be possible with designs, use, and what we can afford has my mind pretty busy.
On a less serious note, I've invited the staff I work with over for a picnic this weekend. It's always fun and we enjoy doing it. However, details of that are still to be worked out. All doable, but my mind is still pretty busy figuring out weather contingencies, amount of food, etc.
And it's the time of year when a lot of yard work has to be done. I'm also trying to implement a couple of new beds and my mind is pretty busy trying to plan all of the work around the weather and my creaky knees and back.
So, in conclusion, my mind is pretty busy. Until next time...
Yes, you definitely have a lot to think about! Best of luck on the job interview! I hope you do well in the interview and get the position you've applied for.
ReplyDeleteMy best advice when it comes to retirement is, see what benefits Ward will be eligible to receive upon retirement (meet with any retirement counselors his employer might have or, their HR person; my employer had retirement counselling sessions that I attended) and live on what you estimate to be your retirement income for at least 6 months (I found out that I was already living on less than what my retirement income was going to be, so I was fine, on that account!).
Will you continue to stay in your current house after retirement? I don't know when would be the best time to do the repairs and construction. I suppose while you still have the higher income would make most sense, especially if you will be taking out a loan to help finance those projects (lenders are probably more willing to lend if they know there is a steady source of income and the higher the better).
Sounds like you've a lot to keep you on your toes! I hope it all works out well for you, both. :)
I appreciate your suggestions since you just recently went through the whole retirement process. Because Ward has worked for a lot of different companies as a government contractor, the retirement situation is pretty complicated, but we're sorting it out.
DeleteThis is the house we plan to stay in after retirement. We bought it specifically for an age-in-place house as it has all of the main living on one floor. So we want to fix it how it would work best for us and will have the least amount of maintenance in the long run. We live in an expensive area (as do you), so it's astounding how much some of these projects cost. As I mentioned, lots to think about.
You do have a lot of big things on your mind! I have to say, you made my OT self happy by making sure you have an aging-in-place home. Very wise! My personal take on the home updates is to focus on making the bathroom accessible. Just my two cents worth!
DeleteI went on a job interview 3 years ago and I hadn't been on one for over 15 years, so I understand your anxiety! It ended up being an empowering experience for me (I was offered the job but ended up not taking it due to, well, life ....). It forced me to look at different options and take a risk. I'm sure it helped that I wasn't in a "have-to" situation--I still had a job and we weren't relying on my income to make ends meet.
When we put our new master bath in, when we moved in, we put in a step in shower, built in a bench and have two well placed grab bars. We have the higher counter tops and toilet. While the doors aren't wide enough to get a big wheel chair through, they will accommodate a walker or travel size wheel chair. While not perfect, the bathroom is not too bad as far as accessibility goes. We have room to widen the doors in the future if we need to. But there was a limited budget (isn't there always?) and that's we could afford to do at the time. What else would you suggest?
DeleteI had a feeling you were on top of this! :) Washer and dryer on the main floor would be nice (that's on my wish list at my house!). Adequate room in a main floor bedroom to accommodate a walker/wheelchair. Those are the "biggies". I'm not sure I would renovate a kitchen to be wheelchair friendly unless it was an absolute need. Door levers instead of knobs are easier. Flooring that is free of throw rugs and easy to push a walker/wheelchair across. Sturdy rails on any steps you need to navigate.
DeleteI'm sure your bathroom is more accessible than mine! Sounds like you've done a great job.
One floor living is the major thing we looked for when we were shopping for a new house. It was hard to find a rancher with the laundry on the living floor, but we did. This house is a little bigger than we started out looking for, but it was the only one that had the major age-in-place features we were looking for. We have steps to a finished basement that we go up and down every day for the cats, but in the future there will not be a need if steps become a problem. While looking for a good house for the future, we also had to stand back and make sure it had what we needed for today, also. For example a yard and a shop for Ward. We had to remember the present and not live entirely in the future.
DeleteBrain dumps are the best! I don’t think too much of retiring. I heard that our generation won’t be able to collect social security until age 73 if at all. So I need to look at it with a new approach. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteYou're still getting your finances in some kind of stable order. After that, it's never too soon to think about retirement. :)
DeleteWow, you are incredibly busy. My mind would be working 100 mph too.
ReplyDeleteAfter some of these things get settled, I want to be able to concentrate on everyday things to do like-mowing grass, weeding, laundry, sorting papers, writing blog posts, etc. We'll see how it all pans out.
DeleteAre you due for another brain 🧠dump?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the encouragement. Maybe tomorrow.
Deleteaww....
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your story