[rwest]

I retired this last June at 55 years old. I’m physically very active, but very project lazy!

I ended up with a foster dog one month after retirement; didn’t want one, but a paralyzed dog came into the rescue that I volunteer for and since I have a bit of experience in caring for that disability, I couldn’t say no, so that does take up a bit of time and puts a damper on freedom and how I’m able to schedule activities.

I take a lot of naps, but I do so pretty intense running workouts on some days and during the summer longer bike rides that I use as a “excuse” to take the naps.

Thursday nights there is a late night swing dance that starts at 9:45 and goes until 1:00am. Very, very young crowd, mostly college age, a few high schoolers and a few older folks. I look a lot younger than I am and seem to have a less mature “vibe”, so most of the young women dance and talk with me- none of them have any obvious interest in me, but it is fun to be there and it gives me a social connection each week as well as a bit of exercise, although my watch showed that my heart rate stayed below workout levels- probably because I do harder workouts normally so the dancing doesn’t push me.

Money wise, I bring in only about a quarter of what I made pre-retirement, but everything is paid for and I live cheaply. I buy less gas and weirdly my grocery bill is less- I think because I bought more preprepared sort of meals to bring to work each day and now I make my own. I also used to keep my candy dish outside my office stocked and had better chocolate for the receptionist and all of that cost me about $250 a month! I no longer spend that of course.

I had a high deductible health care plan while working that included the company putting the yearly deductible in to a VEBA and my unused vacation got converted to the VEBA as well, so I have separate funds to pay for insurance.

I also have no dependents and was never married or had children, so that helps greatly.