Day 33

If I had been on top of things, the title of this post should have been Day 1, as in the First Day of Retirement, rather than Day 33 which means that it has taken me a while to even start getting my retirement act together.  Oh, well.

During my pre-retirement phase of 5 years, I frequently said, "I'm going to do_____" when I retire.  Unfortunately I didn't write any of those things down, anticipating incorrectly that I would remember them or they would be triggered by another activity.  Word of advice.  If you are getting ready to retire, write down what you say you are going to do so when you start thinking, "Now what was it I said I was going to do?" you'll get further than asking yourself that question.

On the other hand, not having written these things down is rather freeing since not having a list to consult doesn't obligate me to anything.  There are plenty of things staring me in the face and I can choose to ignore, bypass, engage in, put off until a later date.  I'd heard that was one of the benefits of retirement.  So far, so good.

So let's make a list of some accomplishments in the first 33 days.  These are not in chronological order nor are they a comprehensive list although come to think of it, they could be.  Warning: since I don't Tweet, these are not limited to 140 characters.

• Paying copious attention to what's going on in the world.  I still read the newspaper at dinner every day (old habits die hard) but I can skip quite a bit of what's in the front section as I have heard it being re-hashed on multiple all news, all the time stations.  I've sent out letters to my congressional representatives and posted mostly snarky comments on Facebook about a variety of political issues.
• Reading fiction.  While working, I had a substantial commute made more palatable by listening to audio books.  I was truly worried that I wouldn't be able to read because I had re-discovered the delight of being read to.  Not to worry.  Now I just have to manage my library holds more effectively because this week 5 books all showed up at the same time.
• Getting back into an exercise routine.  Said commute wreaked havoc on following a regular exercise regimen, as did long work days.  This IS something I remember I said I was going to do.  On the first day I was eligible for my free Silver Sneakers (or something similar) gym membership, I went to a nearby Community Center and signed myself up.  Since then I start each day at the reasonable hour of 9:30 with a group exercise class.  Now, the downside of participating in a group exercise class is that the studio is lined on 3 sides with mirrors.  I'd been primarily going to yoga and Pilates when I could fit it in.  If you're not familiar with yoga, you can keep your eyes closed most of the class and the yoga studios I frequented were not lined with mirrors.  There are a couple mirrors in the Pilates studio but not right in front of your face.  Seeing myself in the mirror both coming and going is not a pretty sight.  I'm getting accustomed to it but it's still something of a shock every day.  My old trick of standing in a direct line behind the instructor so as to be hidden from mirror view, leading me to think I look like the instructor does still work.
• Learning how to play Pickleball.  The Dan-o (my husband) and I attended a clinic on Saturday, which was taught by a 17 year old.  I was a little appalled.  Can't the young'uns play tennis and leave Pickleball to us oldies?  Evidently not.  The young man did a great job and was mature beyond his years, not intimidated at all by the participants who were old enough to possibly be his grandparents.  Anyhow, we really enjoyed it and look forward to lining up and meeting other people as we wait for our turn to play since the Pickleball courts are jam packed.
• Cooking and here's where the title of this blog comes in.  For the past couple years I have been following the NY Times recipes.  I downloaded the NYT Cooking app so I could save recipes.  Most of the time I scroll through the recipes while at the grocery store, giving only a cursory glance to the complete list of ingredients for any particular dish.  My reputation is as a good cook, bordering on the bland.  During the summer when I can snip fresh herbs from my garden things spice up a bit, but the truth is I tend to add salt and pepper and call it good.  The NY Times recipes are laden with spices and what I still think are overly complicated cooking techniques.  Case in point: I don't remember exactly what I was cooking but when I checked the ingredients, it called for red wine vinegar so I purchased same.  Turns out you used only a tablespoon to de-glaze the pan.  Honestly.  Is that not going to the extreme?  I decided that in my retirement, I could challenge myself and cook a NY Times recipe AS WRITTEN, using ALL THE INGREDIENTS.  A stretch to be sure.  The following are the recipes I have prepared to date:
• Longevity Noodles.  Prior to turning a new cooking leaf, I would have left out the mushrooms (dislike) and ginger (not my fave).  
• Creamy Pasta with Smoked Bacon and Peas.  The Dan-o suggested that I add more pancetta the next time.  I think I added some spinach.  
• Chicken Enchiladas With Salsa Verde.  The recipe called for making your own Salsa Verde.  There were quite a few varieties at the supermarket so I purchased a jar instead.
• Porchetta Pork Chops.  I made these while visiting my friend Jeanie in Iowa.  She does not care for fennel so it was omitted from this recipe.  Also we did not have a mortar and pestle to make a paste of the garlic and salt, so we used a small bowl and a wooden mallet.  It worked.
• Coq au Reisling.  Served with mashed potatoes.  Winner, winner, chicken dinner.
• Cleaned out the cabinet with the spices.  Since I'm committed to creating more flavorful dinners, I took inventory of what spices I had, discovering that I had more than enough Thanksgiving based spices to last the rest of my lifetime.  Then I went a step further and wiped down the shelves.  I felt quite accomplished that day.
• Created a home office for myself.  I had anticipated setting myself up in one of our spare bedrooms, now dubbed the Donald Duck Suite in honor the Walt Disney autographed cel of Donald that was passed on to us from my mother-in-law.  However I'm not fond of the lighting in that room since it's north facing.  Instead I moved the desk to another spare bedroom with a south facing window overlooking the backyard. My son-in-law Darin hung a couple shelves that had been gathering dust in the garage for about a decade.  I barely beat my grandchildren to the punch in emptying the boxes I brought home from work.  With the assistance of John McManus, I purchased a great little refurbished laptop so Dan-o and I don't have to share his, only fair since he is still gainfully employed.  It is surprising how settled this has made me feel.
• Spent quality time with the grandchildren.  Not that the time I spent before this wasn't quality time, but it was predicated on when I could squeeze it in after work or on the weekends.
• Began preparations for the upcoming month in Florida.  Stupid little things, like putting the bottles of sunscreen into a bag I will be taking with us.  And then feeling quite crafty about how smart I am to plan ahead.
• Organized the sweatshirts in my closet in order to wear them on a rotating basis as my daily uniform is a sweatshirt and stretchy pants after changing from the work out clothes.
• Shed the overwhelming feeling of carrying a sense of responsibility.  This weight slipped off with barely a brush from my shoulders.  No surprise here.  I was ready.