My weeks have been dragging. It must be the weather. Too chilly for me to get out and about. We are not cold here in Central Florida, but we are not warm either.
Also, I am changing. In my singles days, which weren’t that long ago, (about five years), I was always on the go. I went new places every week, new restaurants, new theaters, new clubs, new beaches. There were new sights and sounds, new people to meet. I was once flying around the country, or out of the country, cruising the Caribbean, exploring fascinating cities, surveying scenic countryside. Camping, boating, hiking, and fishing. I used to work 60 hour weeks and keep up a social schedule on about four hours sleep. I did have more to talk about then. I have gotten lazy and become quite a recluse.
My life is totally different now. I go to Walmart at midnight to avoid the crowd. I get up and go to the grocery store at 7:30 am on a weekday morning to avoid the crowd. I will wait until 10:00-11:00 pm to go six city blocks to my daughters or to run to the 7-11 for a quick stop, just to avoid the traffic. Sometimes I will go a whole week only talking to my husband & daughter and, of course, you guys/gals online. I can sleep an 8 hour night and still curl up for a nap at mid-day.
I like to blame it on marriage and getting old, but I am not certain that I really enjoyed all of the socializing and whirling around when I was doing it. It was exhausting. I rather enjoy the serenity and solitude of staying home, reading, writing, and doing as little as possible. I think I wore myself out. I have become a cave dweller.
My Sunday Synopsis is simple for this past this week. I read some and I wrote some. I cooked and cleaned almost every night and got the laundry done.
This week I plan to schedule my car for an oil change, peddle some books to the indie book stores, and see if I can get my appointment now for my sensory deprivation experience. Maybe this week or sometime over next weekend I can get to Mt. Dora and go to the antique mall, I am looking for a Spirograph for my granddaughter. Not the kaleidoscope app on the iPad, but a real working Spirograph like I had as a kid.
Do they still sell those in the store? Sound like an exciting week?
Cheers to tranquility! I will change again later, and start complaining about being bored, but for now this is working for me.
S.K. Nicholls 
You sound like me. The older I get, the more I appreciate being alone and quiet. But for me it is also the weather. I still enjoy getting out and doing things with friends in the summer.
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You seem to enjoy your downtime, too. I am recently retired, so its’s all kind of new to me, but it’s growing on me.
I don’t think I did much this past summer either, a couple of theme park trips and a couple of ventures to the beach. Greg and I went out more than we have lately. We have been to the boat to fish a couple of times. One trip to NC this past year. My everyday life is certainly much quieter.
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It’s being comfortable with being alone or with just your partner. Chaos used to be my entire life. Now I still have it at work so I appreciate the quiet
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Chaos. How well I remember that. Glad not to have any of that in my life. Only when the grand-kids come to visit.
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You’ve somewhat described my life these days, particularly when I’m not working, as I haven’t for the past two weeks. I refer to it as retirement practice. A few more years (or earlier, if I get that best seller 😉 ) and I’ll be doing something very similar to what you describe.
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It is nice in a lot of ways. I am glad I have lived the experiences, but not sure I would want to repeat them. I’m pretty comfortable. I wish you luck on retirement plans. I think when Greg retires we will go out and do more together. He is so tired at the end of the day. Of course, I haven’t talked to anyone all day, so I annoy the hell out of him I am sure, but he is patient with me.
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The not talking to any one all day is one of the big question marks for me. My objective is to move to a small town somewhere along the coast of Northern California or Oregon. Most of my day will be spent puttering … sitting on a beach, taking pictures, writing, painting, cooking. Most of those can be very solitary activities. But, I think I’d always build in some time to sit and talk with people. The woman at the lunch place. The family sitting at the beach. Strangers here. Strangers there. And, somewhere along the way, the friends that would develop as I spent more time in that little town. Otherwise, the lack of personal interaction would be somewhat frightening.
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You touch on something very real in retirement, and that is the lack of social contact. I find myself chatting with strangers more than I used to, but it is A LOT different from when I lived in small town, U.S.A. Big city life is weird. You can go anywhere in town and be anonymous…which can be pretty cool. Yet, there is no REAL getting to know people. I miss that.
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It’s one of the things I like about retirement practice. I am so much more relaxed. Not rushed because of the things “i have to do.” Because of that, I find myself stopping and slowing down more frequently and just having small conversations with people I never would have otherwise. It’s yet another one of those things I’m looking forward to in the years ahead. Yes, it may not be really getting to know somebody, but still …
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Seems like strangers in the city are different…sort of standoffish, maybe afraid.
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it’s one of those things where “depends” seems to be the appropriate response. But, yes, and that’s one of the reasons I’m itching to move to a small town.
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We are hoping to move to a small seaside village on the Gulf, or out in the country near Sarasota when Greg retires.
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I’m jealous. Quiet time comes in tiny wonderful slices around here.
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LOL…I remember that feeling…if I could only have a moment to myself! It was worse when I was married with three kids at home. Twenty-five years ago, I was a basket case.
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Raised 3 myself. One 19 year old still at home. At least I’m free of the school district shackles. I can leave town during the school year now.
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My ex still has a 28 year old at home. My youngest refuses to leave the nest. Your mind is free to interact with the muses now. I haven’t developed a muse yet…just these voices in my head.
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Muses develop you, not the other way around. 😉 Listen to those voices, they might be trying to tell you something.
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I will name them and see what happens.
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I had a head start on life and jumped straight to being a hermit, lol.
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LOL…you are too cute 🙂
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Hmmmnnn…I’ve found I don’t care much for a lot of what goes on outside my house. Seems people out there are all in a rush, angry about something, or just plain silly. I think you’re right….part of it is an age thing. I’m not as readily leaping into crowds or traffic anymore. As for the Spirograph…ebay?? I know I saw one in the thrift shop a few years ago…along with easy-bakes and lite-brites.
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You know you’re thinking old of yourself when the first thing that pops into your mind when thinking of a toy from your youth is the antique mall…LOL Thanks for the words of comfort…I am not alone in my aloneness. I can’t say loneliness, because that’s not what i am feeling.
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You described my feelings just perfectly, except for the husband and children. I’m divorced and have recently become an empty nester after 26 years as a full-time mom and my very extroverted self and I are relishing Sundays (and Saturdays more often than not) where my most difficult decision is whether to watch HGTV or the Food Network. I used to feel guilty about it. I don’t anymore. 🙂
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The first year after retirement I felt guilty, because my husband was still working, but I don’t anymore.I spend most of my time writing, so I am not at the TV until the evenings when he comes home, but I can certainly relate to the freedom feelings 😉
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I miss my children being home and I miss having a man in my life (I went through a difficult break up a couple of months ago) and like you, I’m sure I’ll soon being playing the bored card, but at this moment in time I’m content and it’s a wonderful feeling.
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I went through a divorce in 1996-98. The oldest was already in college and the youngest wanted to live with me and move to Florida from GA but the judge decided to keep him in GA with his sister, and his sister, who now lives here, was in high school and didn’t want to leave her hometown at that time.
I recall sitting in my new home all alone and hearing the clock tick. First time in ages I had heard that sound.
I have learned to love the sound of silence.
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Mt. Dora has this great cupcake shop that I really wish I could go to again. Every time I went it was too late in the day and they only had the remnants. Anyway, I hear you on the settling down thing. I’m there and I think it comes from when you build up more unshakeable responsibilities.
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I have heard about it, can’t call the name of it right now, but would love to check it out.
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I think you have to get there early though. It’s called Cupcake Delights. 🙂
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I have always wanted to go to Mt. Dora and and shop the antique boutiques. Now what is a Spirograph? Just curious. (Of course, I could look it up, but thank you just the same.) Your Sunday sounded calm, peaceful. We took 2 grands to the Family Series at the Jacksonville Symphony yesterday. You’ll hear more about it on Wednesday’s post. By the way, thanks always for your comments.
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The little boutiques downtown are ultra expensive, but there is a huge mall that is out of town that is awesome.
The Spirograph is writing toy, with geared wheels inside of circles that you spin with your ink pen in place to create beautiful geometric designs. She loves art, but I want to teach her about where those fantastic things she sees on the iPad come from.
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“I rather enjoy the serenity and solitude of staying home, reading, writing, and doing as little as possible.”—You’re singing my song!
But ever since taking time off from a ‘real’ job, I realized I need to make sure I get out and socialize at least a little. My introvert tendencies would keep me contentedly shut in day after day. So I joined a book club. It at least guarantees I get my fanny out there sometimes. 🙂
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I joined a book club, but had to stop it, as they were giving heavy reading and my blogger friends keep me too busy. I just recently joined a writer’s group and we meet every other wed. they are a fun bunch.
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I feel draggy as well. It must be the winter weather. I used to be out and about a lot more too and now prefer to stay in and putter. Sometimes I think I’m only spinning my wheels and getting no-where and also worry I’m getting boring. When will I run out of ideas because of this?
I dislike going out because it cuts into my time and anyway I don’t like elbow-to-elbow people bumping. 😛
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The fact that you were able to work 60 hours a week AND keep a social life going is admirable. I work about that much and feel challenged to keep all my friendships well-tended. I wish I could get away with less sleep, but I’m too much of a glutton for it!
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That was in a past life…it must have been during a manic phase of my bipolar which is much better controlled now…LOL
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That picture looks like one of my physics examples (except the cavewoman is dragging the caveman by the hair). 🙂
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LOL…It made me laugh. My husband has no hair to drag him by LOL
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Love the picture! I love Walmart at night. My mom drags my sisters and I there late at night. The people watching just fab! Plus, people get to also watch me. I can admit not going to Walmart looking put together. 🙂
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I used to work the night shift and I would go out for food for everybody. Weird people come out at night….I am one of them. Ha!
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Thank you for following my blog The Reluctant Retiree. Seems as if we are both in this second stage of adulthood 🙂 my next posts are about road trips in NSW, Australia. Hope you enjoy them.
Congratulations on having a book out there. I am nervously waiting to hear whether my first manuscript has made the short list for a publisher introduction competition ………
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The best of luck to you with the MS. It is on my bucket list and that of my husband to visit Australia. I will be looking forward to those.
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