Cooking the NYTimes and Other Assorted Retirement Activities

I've been in this stupid sleep trough cycle, where I fall asleep rather quickly for about 4 hours.  Then I wake up just about every hour, on the hour, fall back to sleep and get doused in dreams.  I don't have nice dreams, so for this to manifest itself multiple times a night is ending up to be rather exhausting. Yesterday I knew I needed to grocery shop today.  Before going to bed last night, I was already trotting myself through what the schedule would need to be today.   And then, another one of those come the dawn moments, when I woke up this morning I acknowledged that I really, truly didn't HAVE to do anything today.  I could make decision spur of the moment as the proverbial spirit moved me.  The only thing, as always, standing in my way of doing same was me. I gave it a try.  Took myself off the wheel of routine which I was clinging to as it spun around not unlike a ferris wheel building up steam.  Just do what you feel like doi...

Among the coping mechanisms I'm using to buck up and face each day as it faces me is connecting with my children and grandchildren.  Thank goodness for FaceTime! Yesterday while talking with my middle daughter, Maggie, who is my health care agent, she bravely and with unimaginable courage, asked me, "If you get the Coronavirus and you're really sick, what do you want me to do?  Because I won't be able to get down there (Florida) and even if I could, they won't let me in to see you." These are the days. My reply was that if it's the serious respiratory illness that has been hospitalizing people, please ask the medical staff to throw every thing at it. Self-assessment of my health is that I'm basically in very good shape "for someone my age" and my underlying condition, high blood pressure, is well managed on medication.  Should the respiratory illness bring on a heart attack or stroke or other catastrophic event that leaves me without th...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R97TsVDC1BY Disappointed! I am, by nature, a problem solver.  A pusher-througher.  A "We Can Do This."  A stay in the momenter.  A believer in the power of knowledge to empower.  Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. As part of a marital team, as a breadwinner in a family, a daughter, a friend, a parent...I've been through difficult times.  Though I've had my moments, very seldom did I find myself so bottomed out that I couldn't move forward.  That I felt paralyzed by fear and worry.  Overwhelmed by hopelessness. And I've lived through multiple world crises but perhaps because in those times I was younger, I lived in awareness of the world's difficulties rather than wallowing in what dire outcomes the circumstances would produce. Now, I'm 68.  I'm fearful all of those traumas in my life's rear view mirror are informing my response to this crisis, which, I'll admit, is not good.  I am so disappointed ...

Warning: this is a completely self-indulgent post re: my emotional state at this particular moment in time.  It helps to write.  Perhaps it helps you to read. What went back to Target today In the interests of full disclosure--I'm on medication for depression and anxiety.  Have been for a number of years and in retrospect, should have been on for a number of years before that. ( I come by it honestly, I think.  Both parents exhibited multiple symptoms of depression and anxiety.  Back in the day, mental health issues were not treated with the degree of compassion they are today.)  For me, some days and in certain circumstances, the drugs do their prescribed job and life is good.  Other days, the drugs do their prescribed job but the day and certain circumstances overwhelm.  I have a long list of coping mechanisms that are usually quite effective in diminishing the sad or angry or frustrated or overwhelmed feelings. This is the time o...

If you are concerned in any way, shape or form about the Coronavirus, please stop reading this.  If you or anyone you know is already immune compromised, please stop reading this. The post is solely my frustration exploding into blog form to what I believe is the more dangerous viral reaction to this ongoing, in my opinion, massive overreaction to the pending Dementor of Doom: the Coronavirus. I am being flip and GOK (God Only Knows) if it will come back to bite me personally in the butt and if it does, then God knows, I deserve it. A QUIZ (I haven’t written a test in decades and surely could be a bit rusty but I used to be pretty good at this.) DIRECTIONS: Read each question carefully.  Yes, some are multiple choice, some true/false, some fill in the blanks and they are designed that way, especially for the over 50 crowd to force mental acuity.  Then answer the question from your most current knowledge base.  NO GOOGLING ALLOWED.  TEN POINTS DEDUCTED FROM ...