Visited Moscow on the Colorado, on Tuesday for dinner with MBD and SIL. MBD had been given a Insta-Pot for her wedding and wanted some instruction on how to use it. So, she requested help from a long time (as in never) user. Me.
We stumbled through it together, having a good time with lots of laughs. The coq au vin was quite tasty. Spent the night over there as we're not enthusiastic about driving at night in general, and during deer season, especially.
Thanksgiving we made the trip back to Moscow on the Colorado, well Cedar Park anyhow, and had Turkey Dinner with my Niece and her family. Again, a good time was had by all, and the turkey did NOT survive.
However, the majority of the week was spent in practice mode.
A practice retirement, as it were, to see what changes are needed.
Grocery shopping is going to be completely different now. Currently, I do the shopping on the way home from work. I'm the cook, so I know what's needed for the meal. More importantly, it gives me a bit of time to unwind from work. I can talk or not talk to folks as the mood takes me and not take it out on Mrs J. (A good thing.)
But it no longer makes sense to do a 15 mile round trip every day to pick up coffee and eggs, so...Grocery list. Check.
Second thing I noted. Thank goodness for those daily pill boxes. Otherwise, I wouldn't have a clue what day of the week it is. Even with those, it was difficult to keep track of the dates and we "fumbled" the handoff of guests at our guest house. Not in a bad way, the house was reset, but we thought we had an extra day to hang Christmas lights, and woke up surprised to see our next guests had already arrived.
Not sure I'm up for X'ing days off the calendar though, seems kinda fatalistic.
Speaking of chores, Mrs J's "honey-do" list got shortened each day, but seems to restore its overall length frequently. This restoration seemed to happen during rest breaks. Not sure exactly how that happens.
I actually enjoyed being productive with her, Light's are up on all structures at Rancho Juvat (first time in years) and Christmas woodworking projects are in progress,
However, all work and no play, makes juvat an even duller boy than is naturally occurring. Did get in a few practice naps and...
Did everyone know that Google Earth has a flight simulator built in on the tools menu? Your choice of which airplane to fly, a Cirrus or an F-16. You get one guess on which one I picked. Dusted off my Flight Control and went to Nellis. Got out over the ranges and found that I could still hold my own at low level in the mountains.
 |
| 875 Knots Woo Hoo! |
Even flew down Las Vegas Boulevard, supersonic and below the hotel roofs.
Did crash on landing though.
Might need to practice a bit more.
So, I'm optimistic about this retirement thing. 20 work days and counting.
On a sadder note, most of you know that we had an accident here a week ago last Saturday. A P-51 flown by Cowden Ward Jr. crashed. Mr Ward and his passenger, 93 year old WWII Veteran, Vincent Losada, were killed.
Given that the crash occurred in the parking lot of an Apartment Complex, it's a miracle no one else was injured.
The FAA and NTSB are investigating, but the P-51 "Pecos Bill", had been performing simulated CAS at a re-enactment put on by the Nimitz Museum. After pulling off from a pass, the aircraft started losing altitude and witnesses reported the engine sputtering.
Mr Ward was very well regarded in the area and was known to seek out WWII veterans and offer them rides in his P-51 in appreciation for their service. Which was what he was doing at the time of the accident.
Rest in Peace, Gentlemen!
Here's Mr Ward describing his mission.
Took about three years after I retired before experiencing that "what day is it" moment, had to check the kitchen calendar. That Cirrus have the parachute option? Might come in handy. Grocery shopping is less crowded weekdays than weekends, more gray hair and shopping carts less closely escorted though. Sad to read of Pecos Bill, always hurts when good people are lost. Fine choice of video, thanks Juvat.
ReplyDeleteRe: Cirrus Chute. Haven't flown that one, although there isn't a lot of options available, so I'd doubt it.
DeleteThanks
Worked a grand total of one day last week, didn't regret being away from work at all. It's almost not worth the effort any more. The bean counters run everything from a spreadsheet from the comfort of a private office, they have no clue what's going on but they make all the decisions. I'm sick of it.
ReplyDeleteI need to check out that flight sim, jets are good.
In my case it's more of the progressive mindset taking over the district. It doesn't matter what you do, as long as what you say is correct. (or at least currently correct, tomorrow may be different.)
DeleteIt is fun, the desert north of Nellis is good for learning. Flat in places with good terrain to cross when you feel comfortable.
Sigh, progressive mindset. Experienced some of that recently as well.
DeleteI checked out the terrain around Nellis, similar in some respects to Fallon.
Ah, the Bolsheviks have taken over your school district. Explains so much. Any way to load some viruses that cause the "Star Spangled Banner" to play at the opening of the day? Maybe load hidden links to Praeger University videos?
DeleteHate the encroachment of progressivism. When I moved to Gainesville, mostly it was proggy around the college, while the rest of the city and surrounding county was pretty solidly Old South conservative. And over 30 years it morphed into a hateful collection of proggies and their stupid policies. We went from having the top-bond rated small public utility to basically junk-bond status in 10 years, and now the City and the Utility are firmly committed to 100% sustainable energy.
Off the soapbox, must get off the soapbox.
Yeah, it is disheartening. Fortunately, we vetoed Beto, but not by the margin I thought it would be (in my town), so....
DeleteMy city went whole hog for Gollum, down to the dancing celebrations in the streets, along with the requisite rioting, smashed windows, car set on fire, young offenders shooting each other, you know, the normal signs of a democrat-controlled city.
DeleteIt's just our press is better controlled than most, so no one hears about bad things in this town.
Juvat, I think the real vote margin was what was predicted. The narrowness of the veto of Robert "Beto(Butthead)" O'Rourke was due to vote fraud. The Proggies still couldn't manufacture enough votes like they did in Arizona.
DeleteAfter I retired the only day that really mattered was Wednesday because the garbage truck came by before 0600 on Thursdays... If the "what day is it" question turns out to be a problem Amazon has a "day of the week clock", https://tinyurl.com/y7zrmcpc that might be some help, at the very least it's funny to most of your guests!
ReplyDeleteI added that to my Christmas wish list, too funny! Thanks Rob.
DeleteRetirement practice is a solidly good idea. A
ReplyDeleteAnd as you and Nylon said, the "What day is it?" thing has happened a couple of times.
Medical/Prescription/Dental/Vision in retirement.
We went from being covered under my wife's plan, to Medicare B/Tricare for Life and although it seemed odd, Tricare wanted a one month overlap with Med B.
The Tricare prescription plan worked flawlessly.
And we are figuring out which dental plan to opt into, and whether or not we will sign up for a vision plan or pay as we go.
Years and years ago I flew the flight simulator F-16 Falcon, lots of fun, I learned not to eject when upside down and close to the ground, but the program was very buggy.
In reference to the P-51 crash. There seems to be a bit of pollen here in Philly.
Good post.
Yeah, we're trying to figure out the Dental/Vision conversion thing right now. Gonna have to change Dentist's at a minimum.
DeleteAs to ejecting. If you are inverted and in level flight at 100' above the ground, the ACES II seat is "supposed" to work and deploy a full chute before you hit the ground. Thankfully, I was never in a position to need to test that capability.
Lost my soon to be brother in-law as he rolled his phantom inverted at said 100’ or so and proceeded to engage the edge of the air. I don’t mean to be flippant, but it helps sometimes with my sense of loss in 1966 at Bergstrom AFB range. ORI for equally exciting things.
DeleteOoof-da! The Phantom had a good seat, but not THAT good. Even ACES II wouldn't get you out if you were in a descent. I get it about the sense of loss. My condolences.
DeleteDamn...
DeleteCondolences Dave. The hurt stays with you, I know.
I think it was on the Seeking Alpha dividend reinvestment blog I follow where someone commented to the effect since they've been retired 'I wake up every morning with nothing on the schedule, and go to bed every night with things only half done.' A curious mind (and helpful partner) will always find things to occupy the day. Me? With my son only in 10th grade and college still up in the air, its wage slave for a while yet.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, we did stop at the Aggie booth during college orientation last month, and the list cost for out of state was nearly twice that for in state Virginia Tech. Kind of took my breath away. I remembered that in my day the In State kids paid more in building use fees than they did in tuition! If only my investment accounts had increased at the same rate as college costs.....
/
L.J.
MBD had wanted to go to a couple of different out of state colleges. I showed her how much we had saved for college and explained that any difference between that amount and the tuition would have to be made up by her. I then showed her how much both out-of-state and in-state tuition was. One was red, one was black.
DeleteFortunately, my daughter is a bright woman. She chose "Wisely".
Ah, from the wife's side of the gene pool, eh? :) Yeah, why anyone would even attempt to get a 4-7 year libarts degree on an out-of-state tuition is beyond me. That's a really convoluted way to say "I'm going through bankruptcy while working at McDonalds at the age of 30."
DeleteGlad she chose wisely. For everyone involved.
She's got my sense of humor, beauty and brains are from her mother. Most Definitely.
DeleteSad note for that P-51 "crew," but to be honest, I would love to go out that way in my late 70s or 80s, much less 93. Far better than withering away with a brain tumor like my co-worker's dad just did. Lost a shipmate of mine a couple weeks ago in similar fashion, but his was too early: https://www.wesh.com/article/central-florida-retired-us-navy-captain-father-killed-in-arizona-plane-crash/25213449
ReplyDeleteYeah, quick is better than lingering. Tragedy about your shipmate Tuna, but he and his dad both, in the same crash? More than I could take.
DeleteI didn't want to be first to day that, but yes, compared to the alternatives, going quick would be my choice.
DeleteYeah, were I a 93 yo Veteran, going home in a warbird would be pretty much how I'd want to go.
DeleteI thought ALL fighter pilots would want to punch out at that age by being shot by a jealous husband, in his bed, while launching a heat seeker and neglecting to check six. If you find a good recipe book for the Hot Pot please share. My bride of many decades has gone full vegan on me and if I want meat and potatoes from here on out I'll have to do it myself. So I have asked Santa for a Hot Pot.
DeleteMore than ten years in retirement (I transitioned from voluntarily unemployed) has proved to me that you can make a schedule, but specific plans are just a waste of effort.
ReplyDeleteOh, and I remember now that “No!” is a complete sentence.
I have finally, just this last year learned how to sleep in until 7 or 7:30 am.
Ooh! Flight sim on Gargle Earth...
My objective today is to......Well, there's always tomorrow. Sounds like a motto for me.
Delete
Delete'My objective today is to......Well, there's always tomorrow. Sounds like a motto for me.'
Another good one might be: ' Never do today that which can be put off until tomorrow. ' Because, tomorrow it might not need to be done.
My comment is so late in the day because I was a slug-a-bed today.
Thanks for the post.
Paul L. Quandt
Slacker! There is some truth in the concept of leaving tasks undone, so it gives one something to 'work' towards. I knew one guy who had this huge list of stuff he wanted to make, do, see. After retirement, he finished the list in 2 years and then was dead in 3 because he had nothing to live for. Didn't help that he went at everything with the same deadline driven mentality as his work. He did NOT stop to smell the flowers.
DeleteI am somewhat the same way, things must be done at x time in y manner. Which makes me being spontaneous a bit difficult. Fortunately, thanks to several different and varied input methods, I have learned to embrace semi-slackerhood and in-the-moment living.
For a computer dude, you are obviously unaware that your very own personal HAL 9000 comes with a calendar and scheduling software, as does whomever in the family has a smart(assed) phone. For those who are retired, the scheduling software is a bonus, allowing you to set reminders days or weeks ahead of all sorts of things, like med refills, guest checkins, discounts at Denny's... Seriously. Consider doing at home what you already do at work, but without the progressive transnationalists breathing down your neck.
ReplyDeleteAs to shopping, try to get into a schedule where you only have to do 'big shopping' once or twice a month - restocking tp and paper towels, monthly buying of commonly used articles, and then do 'weekly shopping' for perishables (milk, fresh veggies, sales on sodas or meat or such.)
I have it down to pretty much one big trip to WallyWorld/Sams club a month for meats and basic supplies. Sams has the best OTC drug prices anywhere, and their chicken breasts are $1.79/lb, which over the course of the year easily off-sets the 'membership prices.' Friday is 'Run to Publix' day for fresh veggies, sodas, breads, milks and stuff like that. So, yes, I have it down to running out 4-5 times a month, with maybe an extra trip or two thrown in to drop off/pick up meds or something completely different. And, yes, lists. Smart phone also a good use for keeping lists, unless you have a flip-phone, then paper is the way to go.
Glad you survived the holiday retirement test. Sounds like your wife will keep you busy, and then there's always volunteering at the museum.
It is hard to not keep overstocked when you’re having to get the free lunch samples at Sam’s or Costco.
ReplyDeleteI suppose there's that also
DeleteHaving been forced to go to the iDarkSide (kicking and screaming I might add), I'm still figuring all that crap out. (Is there an app for figuring crap out?).
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, Tricare forces us to use Express Scripts for prescriptions, and the closest SAMs is in San Antonio. So, I'll probably stick with HEB. I'm not overly concerned with not being busy. The energizer bunny has no chance of staying up with my Wife.
About prescriptions- I am a member of Kaiser Permanente. I put in an online request for a refill of one of my prescriptions yesterday- YESTERDAY -, Sunday, and it arrived in today's mail. Dang! Any faster and they will deliver my prescriptions two days before I request them.
DeletePaul
About retirement: I have been retired ( for some definitions of retired ) for at least two decades now. Now you may have some idea as to why I am so fond of libraries. Also, why I show up in comments sections of various blogs. And at all hours of the day and night. With my wife away, this trip for almost a month, the clock is relatively meaningless to me. Sometimes that is a good thing, other times, not so much. One of a number of reasons I enjoy hanging out with y'all.
ReplyDeletePaul
I do use the pill planner and 'what's on the boob tube tonight (always recorded)' as a calendar. Plus, Saturday and Sunday are BLT days, Mondays are Mac&Cheese day for the wife, Friday is 'go to the store to get fresh lettuce, tomatoes and bread for BLT weekend' days, so that only leaves three pesky days in the middle of the week that make life kinda hard to tell one day from the next.
DeleteOh, yeah, and my favorite web-comic only posts during the week, so that helps me keep track of the week, also.
Coping mechanisms, I haz tem.
Moscow on the Colorado?
ReplyDeleteWell...The Colorado River, on its way to the Gulf of Mexico, does stray through Austin. Austin is well poised to assume San Francisco's role as leader of the progressive thought police world.
ReplyDeleteAlways have a backup plan. In case the fully retired thing might get boring, or the fisc a bit slower on the intake than the discharge side of the ledger, be prepared to take advantage of your former employer, should the opportunity and desire occur.
ReplyDeleteSet yourself up as a Limited Liability Company "Juvat Services, LLC" to provide professional services. Easy and painless, get a separate checking account for it, and a separate email account. When, not if, the ex-employer calls for help, respond on your Juvat Services LLC account noting that your hourly rate is [comparable to what lawyers, plumbers or Mercedes mechanics charge] with 1 or more hour minimum charge, plus surcharge for after hours or weekend work. A vague name and mission will also allow you to engage in other remunerative tasks, should you accept. Of course, any IT equipment, internet access fees, and some travel may be legitimate business expenses. Oh, and as a one person operation you will love your boss!
If that level of masochistic work is not desired, then you can always look into options to get out of the house on a regular basis where your past accomplishments would be greatly appreciated by fellow vets at a local military history establishment in a volunteer capacity. They likely need and would appreciate help doing all sorts of stuff, coping with visitors, behind the scenes care and preservation of artifacts, paper shuffling, fund raising, or even IT stuff. As a volunteer you can pretty much pick your hours and the group is delighted at whatever they get and you are able to get away for whatever other adventures SWMBO schedules for you.
Worked for me!
John Blackshoe
Thanks John, both those options are in consideration. Not sure I'm really interested in the first, pretty burned out now, but may after a bet of R&R.
DeleteVolunteering at the Nimitz has always been high on my list, though.
Roger Moscow on the Colorado - in my childhood, visiting my uncle., Austin was a really nice town. Hunted crawdads in the creek that runs through the UT campus ... Like too many places, been contaminated by the lefties - first realized that when my cousin went there and she turned into one of those.
ReplyDeleteAs far as going out quickly, ever seen the movie, "Second Hand Lions"? Great film, highly recommended.
I am also approaching retirement, think I'll have plenty to do for a while, will likely increase my time doing firearm instruction at a couple of places. Think the challenge is to realize being retired doesn't mean being useless - just another change of station, so to speak.
I have watched that movie. Robert Duvall's diatribe at the beginning of the fight scene is epic!
ReplyDeleteIt is nice to be needed. "Just another change of station", without the moving thankfully.
I have been in this retirement thingy for about a year now. There has been no lack of work to do but I can sleep in a little as I used to have to get up at 05:30 to get to work on time (coffee, breakfast, a little news and a 45 minute drive to work).
ReplyDeleteI too am on Medicare/TriCare for Life and my wife on TriCare Prime. After looking at the options for Vision and Dental healthcare, between the premiums and coverage limitations, we have opted to just pay out of pocket as the difference is minimal.
I will have to try that flight simulator in Google Earth. It looks like great fun. It is just too bad they don't have my beloved C-130 Hercules as an option with a Daisy Cutter load.
Sounds like you won't have to worry about being 'bored' as long as SWMBO has her honey-do lists maintained! Glad you had a good turkey day, and yes, that was a sad loss, but I'm thinking it's probably the way both of them would have wanted to go, rather than lying in a bed... May they RIP!
ReplyDeleteGood stuf!
ReplyDelete