Interesting Lily and Nervous Retirement!

Interesting Lily
Originally uploaded by sunshinegurl2

I am thinking of retiring very soon - I have to decide in the next month or so if I want to retire on July 1. It seems very weird to think about not working, I'm not sure how people do it, and it's kind of scary to think about what I'm going to do with myself. K has been off work now for almost a year, and he just sits around, sleeps, watches tv, and gambles for most of the day, once in a while he goes for a drive. How can I live the rest of my life just doing that? I really, really, want to travel much more than I've been able to so that would be an immediate goal, but people always say that, don't they? Most of those people have spouses to travel with - I don't and I don't have a lot of interest (as in none) in traveling by myself because I get lonely in my own company.

At the same time, it IS TIME to change! I do not want to work forever. I have worked at the same company for 36 years, and we have a reasonable pension (altho it used to be better before the Legislature started messing with it and screwed it up) so there is no reason to just keep working for money. I won't make nearly 100% of my salary in retirement, as the people who changed it were so afraid of, like that's a crime or something. In fact, I'm hoping for 50-55%. Like I say they've messed with it to the point where they no longer have to be jealous that I work for a company with a pension plan - I always attribute complaints about my company's pension to jealousy from people who didn't think ahead when they were young and got in with a company with a good plan and STUCK WITH IT. I started work here when I was 22 years old and stuck with it and the benefits, including pension, were a major reason why. I did nothing to deserve a crappy plan at this point just because I thought ahead, and they didn't.

Anyway, enough of that. I am determined to go through with it - if I can't stand it I can work somewhere part time. I can volunteer if I want. I don't have to do anything.

And, if I decide I like it, I can sleep, sit around and watch TV all day, and do nothing. I've earned it.