After working full time for 44 years the day has finally come when I don't have to go into work, which is just as well since I resigned on Friday - although I hope to go back at sometime... though only when it suits me!
So, what to do with all this free time?
I got up at 6.27am, Shelley's hair-dryer makes a horrible noise, and then I carried on as usual, cup of tea, fed the cats, had a bowl of porridge, water the plants, wave off Shelley - she's still working for a few more weeks.
Don't get sloppy. It would be so easy to be lazy: washed and shaved by 8am, I'll shower later.
First new job: polish the bannister - been meaning to do that for ages .. don't think that'll be a daily job though.
Then fill out a form for another lump of work pension money .. there are loads of these to do, fortunately we have a good money man who takes care of most of this stuff, I hope! ... they want their form written in black ink, they'll have to make do with dark blue - I'm still a rebel, that's good
One lot of washing on the line and another in the machine - this must be what retired people do I expect, and then to the allotment, catching up on stuff like weeding - 2 hours of reasonably hard work.
The allotments seem busy - they're probably all retired - three people spoke to me and asked about work, told them I'd retired ... sort of....
Then I put my master plan into play, a walk or cycle ride everyday... this is how I'll keep fit and live to be 100.... a stroll along the quay turns into a 3 mile walk along the seawall and back over the fields... and the cuckoo was still in good voice .. I thought they should have flown off by now... hearing him makes me happy though ...
I think I could get to like retirement.... as long as I don't eat too much during the day: 1 x tea, 2 x coffee, 1 salad (small), 1 piece of birthday cake ( large) and a glass of Robinson's lemon barley as I sit down to watch day one of Wimbledon
Then it occurred to me; I'm retired .... and so is my mum!!