Adventures in Retirement

Generically Yours

2009-06-17T07:41:00.009-04:00

The good thing about retirement is having the time to pursue all the things that you always wanted to do, like writing the Great American Novel, or traveling to Bora Bora on a tramp steamer. The bad news about retirement is that you now have less money to work with. Whoops. Saving money has become a priority--I constantly look for ways to economize by smart shopping, cost saving energy tips, and short cuts to get to where I want to go.

Pharmaceuticals for instance. Statistics say that one third of all prescriptions are never filled due to the high cost. I find that appalling. A couple of years ago, my doctor prescribed a well known drug which cost, at that time, well over $100.00 per month. Are you serious? I had no insurance drug plan, so I had only half the prescription filled--just enough to give me time to research other options.

Research the Brand Name

he first thing I did was research the brand name prescription. What was the main ingredient? What was it supposed to accomplish? Was there a generic equivalent? I searched on the internet (how did I ever exist before Google?), and I found out that, yes, there was a generic medication. Whoo, hoo!

Check with Your Physician

Of course, you absolutely need to check with your physician about using a generic equivalent to the brand name drug. Make sure you ask your physician about the efficacy of the generic prescription compared to the brand name--you want to make sure that the generic will help you every bit as much as the name brand.

Note: It is always good to have open communication with your doctor so you feel comfortable discussing anything that concerns you. You have the right to ask him or her about using cost cutting measures like "Can I use this generic in place of the brand name?" If he or she gives you the green light, then you can save yourself a bundle.

Research "The Lists"

Now, some people have used the same pharmacy for years and are unwilling to change. And that's fine. Getting a generic prescription at your particular pharmacy will still save you lots of cash. However, if you really want to go for the gold, check "THE LIST". After I found the generic equivalent of my pricey brand name, I immediately went on the WalMart and Target websites to check out the drugs on the $4.00 list. These are medications that cost ONLY FOUR DOLLARS! The generic medication that I needed was on the list, and my story has a happy ending--instead of being socked $100 per month, I only pay $4! I am putting the savings toward writing workshops, travel, and spoiling my grandchildren.

Next: Negotiating Medical Care

Taking a Step, Falling Down, and Crashing Through Barriers

2009-06-01T09:34:00.005-04:00

Well, the day is finally here-I am going to start an on-line class on how to become a freelance writer. I have put up many barriers to chasing the writing dream--I can't do it now because of work; I can't do it now because we have to look for a house; I can't do it now because I have to watch Ice Road Truckers on The History Channel. Aren't these just lame excuses? I think that the real reason for not taking the step is facing the fear of tripping and falling face first along the way. What if I can't write? What if I get writer's block? What if no one wants to read what I do write?

I watched a pledge drive on our local PBS channel about taking away barriers that keep you from realizing your dreams. Today I am going to crash through the barriers and take the first step. I may trip; I may fall; I may even get bruised a little or a lot. I think that the secret is to get up and keep moving. Take a deep breath and go!

Of Storms, Miss Procrastination, and King Crab

2009-05-24T16:11:00.010-04:00

We have gotten 16+ inches of rain since last Saturday--now it's sunny and humid. I used the "Gee, I need to build an ark" joke until I got sick of it. Ormond Beach got so much water that residents were advised not to flush their toilets. Bleeech! Not visiting OB for a while.

Trying to find indoor activities in an outdoor area has been difficult, but not impossible. I spent hours this week writing lists of what I should do--read, write, think deep thoughts. The rest of the time I procrastinated. I am the champ at that. I used to make up songs about procrastination, and I elected myself Miss Procrastination of whatever year it happened to be.

Fortunately, there is a Deadliest Catch marathon on the Discovery Channel and my crown as Queen of Put-Off-Until-Tomorrow is safe. Right now I am watching the ocean cowboys of the Northwestern, Cornelia Marie, Time Bandit, and the Maverick race to deliver their loads of King Crab to the processing plants in Alaska. I'm going to cut this Blog a little short--they are about to crown the winning captain in the Most Crab Per Pot Contest!

Retirement, Short Sales, and the Big Stress

2009-05-16T08:29:00.008-04:00

Well, it's been August since I last posted--so much for the "I'm going to write every day" goal. A lot has happened since I last blogged--I really retired, and I am planning a move to Georgia from Florida. Can you say "Let's choose two of the biggest stressors in life and voluntarily jump right in"?

After many years of teaching, I finally retired on May 7th. Love it, love it, love it! I can now do everything I always wanted to do, right? Oh, wait--now I have no money, so forget the summer in Europe, the writing workshops, conferences, and retreats. Never thought of that, did I? I suppose it goes right along with the Scarlett O'Hara Complex that I wrote about last year. Ah'll just think about it tomorrah y'all.

Oddly enough, that transitions nicely into my second stressor--moving to Georgia. Everytime I go the the Atlanta area and pass by the Jonesboro exit off of I-75, I think about Scarlett and her charming way of procrastinating. We found a nice starter home in the middle of Barrow County--about 15 miles from Athens. It is out in the country and is in a very peaceful setting, but the journey from here to there has been filled with potholes and roadblocks. The house is a short sale and is subject to approval by both the sellers and the banks. Let me tell you, if you want to get into a house in hurry, don't pursue a short sale. We have been waiting for final approval for over 2 months--every time we think that we are coming down the home stretch, something happens to postpone the closing. AAAAHHHH! It's all good.

Back to retirement. I have seen so many people retire and the die within a few months. Did they retire because of poor health, or did they develop problems because they retired? This is the "Chicken or the Egg" conundrum. Of course, on the day of my retirement, I had to go to the doctor because I thought I was having a heart attack. It was a false alarm, and I am wondering if the way I view retirement caused the symptoms I had. Cool, now I'm retired, but I have become a neurotic hypochondriac.

I am setting goals for myself--I have signed up for an on-line writer's workshop on Freelance Writing, I bought a number of reference books, and I subscribed to Writer's Digest. That ought to do it. Now I just have to actually write. And I am. And I found out something about myself--I think I am going to like retirement.

The Scarlett O'Hara Syndrome

2008-08-03T17:08:00.007-04:00

I am in a much more somber mood this week--my youngest sister Jane had back surgery on Monday, and she has developed a pulmonary embolism as a result of the surgery and other health problems. She is only 50, but she has been in poor health for years. Unfortunately, her health problems are primarily of her own making--she has been a chronic smoker and is overweight and out of shape. I should talk--I have health problems of my own due to poor lifestyle choices.

You see, in my family, we all suffer from the Scarlett O'Hara Syndrome--you know, "Oh, mah goodness, I'll just think about it tomorrow." My mother, rest her soul, was the champ at this. She also was a chronic smoker and used to disconnect her oxygen to go into the bathroom to have a cigarette. I was angry with her for years because she missed out on so much with her children and grandchildren. So, I used to preach, preach, preach--an annoying and hurtful habit. It didn't do any good, and it caused hard feelings and guilt all around.

Of course, I preached to my sister, too, and, miracle of miracles, she quit smoking last October, but not because of my nagging. Can nagging ever really change people? I think that tomorrow finally came for her; she made a heroic decision to quit smoking and has stuck to it. Hopefully, it won't be too late. She is now on blood thinners, and the embolism may dissolve completely.

Now she will have to make other lifestyle changes--exercising and losing weight. That is also my problem. Tomorrow is staring me in the face, too, and I better get a move on.

One Bird at a Time...

2008-07-28T09:29:00.010-04:00

This week I am reading a book called Bird by Bird , a great book for writer newbies like me. Anne Lamott, the author, takes a humorous (and sometimes serious) approach to the hair-pulling difficulties of being a writer. Ms. Lamott has experienced the blanks, blocks, and dazes that wannabes like myself have gone through and has provided advice for clearing the hurdles.

My question is how does she know me? Every time she describes a writing crisis, she has to be talking about me! The good news is she gives very insightful advice for overcoming the obstacles. Gotta love it. One of the best exercises in the book is the "one inch by one inch frame" approach. When you are staring at a blank sheet of paper, and by this time the paper looks to be poster sized, try to see your work through a 1" by 1" frame. I can do that! By concentrating on something I can do, I won't be obsessing about what I can't do.

So, for this week I have given myself three assignments: write a 200 word assignment for Prevention Magazine, a 1,000 word piece for Golf Digest, and this blog. Hooray! One down and two to go.

Grandma in Wonderland

2008-07-17T10:36:00.010-04:00

Talk about "down the rabbit hole"! Now that I have officially become a blogger, I have been investigating other bloggers and their websites. WOW! (Which, by the way, is the very name of one of those sites.) I am astounded at the amount of material out there concerning writing, blogging, and setting up an online business. Actually, like Alice, it is a little overwhelming because there is soooo much available.

I have been doing some preliminary research on freelance writing, and I have joined a couple of groups on Yahoo--they have become valuable networking tools that help Newbies like me understand the world of writing. My favorite one so far is Mike's Writing Workshop--an award winning blog that provides many tips from people who have been there and done that.

I am also starting to market my art work in various galleries and shops--after many years of doing outdoor art festivals, I am pretty well over the bad weather and pricey entrance fees. If I can place my work in enough venues, I can retire my EZ Up tent and just work on the art (which is what I love to do anyway). Here's another picture of my weird mixed media neckpieces.

Take care everyone.

What the Heck is a Blog and Why Am I Writing It?

2008-07-13T13:20:00.004-04:00

I am about to take a risk and I am shaking in my Crocs! So far my life has been pretty predictable--married for 41 years (to the same guy--how great is that?), raised three remarkable sons who married my wonderful daughters-in-laws, marveled at my four grandsons (the reasons for my risk-taking, but more about that later), and worked in education for the last 33 years.

Oh, and I have also been an artist in every medium known to man or woman, which has lead to LTLT, you know--a Little of This and a Little of That. LTLT is an affliction whereby the artist is unable to choose what the heck they want to do, so they do a little of this and a little of that! My solution has been to become sort of a mixed media artist, which is what you become when you are so old that you have done almost everything. Hence the picture of the mixed media neckpiece. Actually, this piece is currently on exhibit at the Florida Museum of Art in DeLand, Florida--check it out if you are in the area.

At any rate, now we get to the risk part. My husband and I moved to Florida about 12 years ago, and have worked as teachers in the Adult Education program at a local community college. Now we have decided to quit our jobs and move to South Carolina, thus becoming "halfbacks". A halfback is a person who has moved to sunny Florida, and who, for whatever reason, decides to move halfway back north. In our case, we have one son who is in Atlanta, and another who is living in Charlotte. Our third son and his family still live in PA, and we would be much closer to them also. So, you guessed it, we are moving to the Anderson, SC area to be closer to family.

The risk, of course, is becoming unemployed at a time in our lives when employment opportunities are less than they should be. So, now we start the great adventure--taking risks and pursuing dreams that were postponed for years. You see, I always wanted to be a writer, and I am seeing more and more opportunities in that area. I would like to work in the field of freelance writing, proofreading maybe, or possibly children's books.

My husband, who has a vast amount of experience in the field of education, wants to become a consultant. Cool. I always wanted to be married to a consultant--I have attended enough In-Service Days to long for someone with a little personality and a sense of humor.

At any rate, I wanted to keep a journal of my journey, and I am hoping for some good advice along the way. I will keep you all posted about my adventures, and misadventures along the way.