Another post! Woo hoo! So I’m currently on what amounts to 6 weeks of medical leave. This time has also become a proving ground for my upcoming retirement from work. As I may have mentioned, my husband has finally decided we might have enough money to actually stop working while we’re both mentally and physically capable of enjoying it for a while.
I’ve never really thought of myself as retiring, but I now see that I’ve suffered from a sort of work addiction. I have been working so long and so hard (and managing everyone else’s personal business as well) that I literally don’t have a life in a typical sense. I have other people’s lives. I have a work life. But like other major shifts in my thinking, the decision to embrace this has come on pretty quickly. And so I’m trying to figure out how to give my days enough structure that I feel at least somewhat productive, while also not caving in to a burning desire to get everything done everywhere. I’m almost mid-way into week 3 and I still feel ridiculous not pressing through all the usual day’s tasks right off first thing in the morning. I think I’m going to need a transition – mornings with some structure, afternoons kind of free flow (whatever that looks like). It’s all complicated by the fact that it’s a billion degrees and by mid-day, no one anywhere wants to do anything. But that won’t last forever.
Job end point is in limbo as well – I’m supposed to have a written plan by now, but I have nothing. This is pretty much par for the course and I’m going to have to push for it so I don’t find myself in a situation that becomes confrontational or adversarial.
Plans have been made for a full round 2 of renovations in Florida. After the $35K for the kitchen/utility room reno (with 6 new appliances), this will be an additional $35K to finish off the complete project. Bought the unit in May 2021 for $260K – cheapest units now are going for about $360K. So – still profitable with the bonus of having it nice while we own it. Next steps:
- New vinyl flooring everywhere except guest bedroom
- New 5 1/2 in baseboards throughout
- Full renovation of Master and Guest bathrooms.
- New doors throughout.
That’s enough for today.