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A taste of retirement: Short Term Disability
I awake to the unmistakable sound of Dusty shaking her head. I glance at the window and note there's a bit of light outside, the exterior lights have kicked on, so I know it is after 5:30AM. (There was a time when I would be sitting in my car by now headed for the train station and on to NYC and very long day). Dusty in her old age isn't quite as reliable as an alarm clock - she will occasionally sleep in but not today. I'm not tired so there will be no falling back to sleep - the joyous first cup of coffee calls. I'm sleeping in the extra bedroom - I can't get comfortable and toss and turn all night. I head for the master bedroom to find my glasses and the bottle of Tylenol. This morning just some ice will do. The Mrs is sitting up and awake and on her new early Christmas present an S2 tablet - she too is a creature of habit - weekdays my HS juniors son bus comes around 6:50AM and he is not a morning person. I hustle downstairs to the kitchen (more an exaggerated gimp) to hit the button for that first cup of java. Dusty has officially scratched, two swallows of coffee and I throw on a light coat, grab the leash, put a piece of advertisement over my coffee (to avoid stink bug contamination). As expected it is warm out and Dusty quickly cooperates. I carefully walk across the lawn still fearful of a fall I'm just not quite as steady as I'd like yet.
I speak to my younger retired sister in Florida "we are enjoying the cooler weather" I see it will be near 80 there. They are redoing the kitchen - my brother in law is very handy but he has slowed down. She tells me he sets small goals for each day: "if I can get that new light switch in today I'll consider today a success". We laugh as there is no need to rush. My wife's second oldest sister I'd building a new home in Florida too. The oldest is ready there.
I'm ready for a new adventure - Pennsylvania is beautiful but not so much in January: cold gray and miserable. I started my short term disability on 11/19 it is 3 weeks and 3 days later - the longest that I've been out of work in 40 years.
I've discovered something: not having to get into an ice cold car and go to work in a nasty crime ridden city isn't such a bad thing. No not too bad at all.
Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum.
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