Category: Retirement
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Thought Bubbles
Reading Time: 1 minuteYesterday I had a great idea for today’s short post. Then I forgot what it was. Randy has a theory. He believes our thoughts exist in another dimension in bubbles that float all around us. They’re attached to us with something like the glue used on sticky notes. As we age, that… Read more
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That Strange Freedom-Like Feeling
Reading Time: 5 minutesBefore I get into the meat of this post, I want to make something as clear as a bell. I am not complaining. What I have to say is merely observation. If you didn’t see my Friday post that sparked this one, read that first by following this link. I think this,… Read more
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I Miss Driving
Reading Time: 2 minutesI love retirement. I love everything about it. But it’s a big lifestyle change. When planning for it, a lot of the things that will change are obvious. Thinking about how you’ll handle things like reduced income, where you’ll live, what you’ll do with your time, the structure of your day, and… Read more
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Inspiration vs Perspiration
Reading Time: 2 minutesOne of my favorite quotes comes from Thomas Edison. He said, “Genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration.” If I were younger and more ambitious, (in other words, still looking to be more successful) I’d have that quote hanging prominently on one of my walls. That insight is true in… Read more
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True Wealth is Time…and Family
Reading Time: 2 minutesAs I was getting ready for bed last night I realized it was Monday night and I hadn’t even started thinking about my weekly Tuesday long post. I panicked for a moment. Then I remembered the tag line of this site is “True Wealth is Control Over Your Own Time.” And I… Read more
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Let’s Talk About the Weather
Reading Time: 5 minutesSo many people, on hearing we live in Florida, think it’s hotter than blazes down here. And it’s true that there are some days where it’s sweltering hot. The thing is, it’s damned hot in Missouri sometimes. Wisconsin too. And in both those locations when it’s that hot, the humidity is through… Read more
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Florida to Wisconsin. The Hard Way.
Reading Time: 5 minutesI have a nickname (in the vein of Native American names like Sitting Bull, Wilma Mankiller, or Crazy Horse) in the Grathen family…. Maps Are My Life. Randy’s sister, Kristine, calls me this because I love road maps. I especially like them when we’re traveling by car, which, if you’re a regular… Read more
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Age Has Nothing to Do With It
Reading Time: 4 minutesOne of my favorite memories of all time is when I was babysitting my great-niece, then age 3 or 4, and she asked me if she could play with my phone. She’s 16 now, so this was about 12 years ago, 2012 or so. At the time I still had a flip… Read more
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25 or 6 to 4
Reading Time: 5 minutesI was in the 7th grade at a Catholic school when a bunch of guys in the Chicago area who loved music found each other and formed a band called The Big Thing. Those guys, all about 10 years older than me, dressed to the nines in skinny suits ala the early… Read more
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The Unusual, Round Place We Call Home
Reading Time: 5 minutesWhen Randy and I moved to Southwest Florida in July 2021 we didn’t know a lot about the area. Today, in fact, I found out for the first time that the closest city, Englewood, is unincorporated. This means there’s no local government or police force. All governmental services are provided by the… Read more