Taking Stock

Before closing this blog and saying good bye to the great pretirement experiment (or is it just the first phase?), I thought I'd review a few points:

• The documented life takes time. I was surprised at how much time it took to jot down even the minimal descriptions of our days that have appeared here. Then there's the planning and coordinating and making new plans to accommodate for unexpected events. It brought to mind that in retirement, time may become as precious as money and will have to be budgeted and allotted with more care. If I had it to do again, I would have jotted down notes and then created blog posts rather than trying to compose right in the computer.


• A new location and a different place of residence put the idea of retirement in a new perspective. It was good to have a house instead of a hotel room because we made meals, used the yard, did the laundry, and many other day-to-day activities that we will face when we retire. The differences in the locale, the weather, the geography, the people, etc. made everything a little more complicated and made us take time to think about why and how we do things that it's so easy to take for granted when you're in the groove of your familiar routine. We realized the importance of having guests and making acquaintances to break the isolation and monotony as well as the pleasure of just the two of us relaxing after dinner with no big deadlines to prepare for the next day. Family connections added stability and accountability and news from the outside world. We discovered new treats around Steve's house: the subliminal perk (seeing, smelling, tasting) of a bright yellow tart lemon on a cold, cloudy day, the pleasure of listening to the "old standby's" on the classical station on XM radio, lots of yummy treats in the fridge like corn and chili salsa.


• Don't hesitate to make adjustments to adapt to the new location. We needed a better GPS system for the car and never did. We did go to the Goodwill store and got some warmer clothes. I wish I'd also invested in a couple of pairs of thick socks too. Phil also put a lot of time into making fires at night, which made the evenings much more tolerable, but if I had it to do again, I wish we had built fires after lunch instead of dinner.


• Force yourself to slow down and appreciate the down time. We had several satisfying meditation sessions as well as tackling Sudoku puzzles with Peter's helpful coaching. Phil rigged up a light in the bathroom so he could read as he took long soaks in the tub. I listened to three audiobooks and enjoyed a lazy afternoon snuggling under a down comforter and listening to the rain. Give some thought to low-key parttime jobs, such as pet sitter (which I discovered I am not very well suited for). In retrospect, the rain was probably an advantage because it did make us slow down our pace somewhat.


• Never underestimate the cheap and easy. Besides our Goodwill duds and a steady supply of Trader Joe's bargain wines, I enjoyed several free or inexpensive sightseeing destinations, like Point Pinos Lighthouse and Tor House. Our hikes to the Forest of Nicene Marks and Hidden Beach were both memorable and so easy to get to. Don't lug around travel books when the Internet provides good information faster. Don't be afraid to re-visit the same location: climbing Russian Hill in San Francisco on two separate days brought two very different experiences. Watching the signs of spring around the neighborhood and soaking in the warmth of the last few sunny days as well as the wonder of the huge billowing white clouds (unlike any clouds I've seen in L.A.) against a brilliant blue sky were all priceless experiences that did not require Mastercard.


• Work toward a balance of activities. We had a few splurges, like me going to the Winchester Mystery House and Phil going to Pebble Beach, and balanced with many meals at home and videos. We faced the challenge of getting to know Dixie, day after day of rain, and the perpetually hectic Highway 1 and balanced the headaches with familiar comforts like going to the neighborhood Aptos Cinemas, the neighborhood library, and the neighborhood golf course. During the course of our stay, I reminded myself think big but don't knock yourself out. Let the surprises be pleasant ones.


• Allow yourself time to readjust when you return home. It has taken me a week since I returned from Santa Cruz to write this wrap up. There are lots of calls to make, bills to pay, things to clean, and work to do, so the first days home were kind of a blur and frankly it was difficult getting back in stride to meet the old responsibilities. It would have been nice to have a day of transition, but that didn't happen. At least I can reread the blog in a few weeks and draw some conclusions that haven't become apparent yet.

Putting Down Roots

Friday, February 19, our second full day in Aptos, was pretty laid back. We settled into the house and started doing some foundation work for the vacation, discovering some tips to make the long stay more pleasant. The day was cloudy and chilly, alien to our Southern California sensibilities. We took our time over breakfast, raising our spirits by talking with Peter over steaming hot coffee. We discussed things we might like to do in the next couple of days and then went grocery shopping.



TIP #1: In this land of chain stores, if you have a favorite grocery store, see if there's one convenient to your new location. We found a Trader Joe's a couple of miles away and headed straight there. The arrangement of the shelves was different, but we found our favorite items like pita crackers and Just Chicken and brought them back to make the house just a little homier. Be aware that some big chains have affiliates in other parts of the country. For instance, I was able to use my Vons grocery card at the Safeway.



We cruised around the Capitola Mall for a while. It's a somewhat confusing conglomeration of shopping complexes separated by parking lots and city streets (some even busy enough to have traffic lights). There's just about every kind of store you can imagine there, but it may take time to find it. Phil and Peter had decided to take a chance and play a game of golf despite the threatening storm clouds, so we pulled into a Big 5 Sporting Goods store for Peter to buy some spikes for his golf shoes. The manager was impressed by Peter's East Coast driver's license. "We don't see many of those around here."



TIP #2: Don't be shy about letting people know you're from out of town. Many people tell you about places to eat and things to do, not only in the vicinity but sometimes even places they've enjoyed in your hometown too.



After unpacking the groceries, we had a lunch of sandwiches and nice hot soup and P & P headed off to the golf course. I stayed home and tried to bond with Dixie, our canine companion for the next too weeks. She is very homesick for her owner, but we hope she will settle in soon. We went for a little walk and met a doggie friend of hers, which picked up her spirits for a while.



TIP #3: Find some excuse to walk around the neighborhood and say hello to a neighbor or two. Explain that you're house-sitting, pet-sitting or whatever so they won't be concerned that a stranger is lurking in the neighborhood. Again, you can pick up a lot of advice on places to go, places to avoid and even pet care advice.



I photographed the contents of all the kitchen cabinets and drawers and put post its up to remind me of the main things that were inside as I described in a previous post. I emptied the shelf of one cabinet and put our food there so it was easy to find those things in a hurry. The refrigerator has also been rearranged for my convenience. We also have a lot of packaged items on the kitchen counter since it's wide enough to store things and still have plenty of work space.

TIP #4: As soon as possible, take some time to get to know the kitchen. It saves a lot of time (and money) to know where the coffee is and how much is left as well as to take stock of items that you take for granted which are missing in this new place. Start a shopping list of things you need or brainstorm ways to improvise. We rigged up a towel to serve as a dish drain and I bought a stopper for the kitchen sink after using a large pot to do the dishes proved to be too much of a hassle.

Have you photographed your drawers lately?

One way to lighten the financial load of an extended stay is to housesit. In our cases, we're getting the mail and walking the dog for a cousin who has a long business trip, and in exchange, we have the run of a lovely three bedroom in a quiet neighborhood graced with towering eucalyptus and the occasional redwood and just a few minutes walk from the beach. One of the first things I did was photograph the kitchen cabinets to get a good visual of what was inside and to document how they were placed on the shelves so I can leave them in a close resemblance to the way they were when we arrived.