Thursday, January 02, 2014

Goodbye To All That




As I've written before, I don't really make resolutions. The word implies resolve and I don't have any.  But then again, I generally view recipes as mere suggestions.  That's kinda the way I view my plans of what I would like to do, or do differently in the new year.  

First of all, I guess I need to decide whether I am going to work more than I am currently working.  It's funny but I am kind of ambivalent about it.  When I first "retired" I figured I would be sending out resumes by the next January.  The idea of me not working was just unfathomable to me.  

And I did wind up working for a non-profit on a part time basis.  Still am.  But I'm thinking that if I'm going to practice law again, I had better get to it while I still halfway remember how.  I've agreed to serve as a mentor at the law school. So that will be interesting.  We're going to have to finesse the job shadowing part of the duties.

I don't practice law.  At least I don't do it much and I do it out of the house.  But the Dean over there says we will figure out a workaround.

Again, I'm kinda ambivalent about working again.  I have come to enjoy this new life in spite of myself.  I like working out in the morning.  I like not having much of a schedule.  I don't miss talking on the phone all the time.  I don't miss having a bunch of emails waiting on me every morning.  I did at first.  But I don't miss it anymore.  

The money isn't a problem.  I'm bringing home now more than I netted when I worked.  I'm just not saving any money which used to make me crazy.  But now I'm kinda ambivalent about that too.  I have a pretty good chunk socked away where I can't touch it. And it's not like I have an ostentatious lifestyle.  Also as an accountant friend likes to say, the beauty of a pension is that it's impossible to blow.  Well, unless you do one of those stupid assignment things where you assign the future income stream for cash payment for what the actuaries say its worth.  

But I'm not insane.  Some people are.  

So what's new on the agenda for 2014?  I'm going to keep working out with Dennis as long as it continues to amuse him.  I'm going to keep working on becoming a musician again.  Guitar is getting better and my singing during my portion of the Holiday Show for last month's Tales From The South went over pretty well.  

Back in September I foolishly agreed to be the President of our Residents Association.  So far a mob bearing pitch forks and torches hasn't appeared in my yard.  So far so good.

I hope I won't have to make quarterly payments to the IRS next year.  I hope to use that money to do more travelling.  I hope to write more.  And since I have, much to my surprise, reached an accommodation with being useless, what better way to give in to that than by playing more golf in 2014?  

I made new friends in 2013 and I look forward to spending more time with them in 2014.  I would like to start shooting in RAW and learn to do better with Photoshop.  

I would like to get my legal services client's divorce wrapped up.  

2013 wasn't so bad.  2014 has a chance to be even better.  So goodbye to 2013.  Goodbye to all that.  

It took me awhile but I'm finally good with everything and where I am at.  I am in a good spot.  

And I am very, very, lucky to be here.  


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