suggestions | Piss and Moan

Retirement envy

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It hit me this week that I am having a serious case of retirement envy. I don’t think there is an official diagnosis for this sort of thing, but I have found as I have co-workers retiring or coming up on retirement (one retired this month, one coming at the end of the year, and at least two in the next two years) that I am extremely envious of the life they are entering or going to be entering.

Having turned 50 near the start of the year, it has gotten me thinking about the future and what I want that future to look like. I have heard talk of those who are (or have) retiring that they hit the 30/62 threshold (30 years, age 62) and it made sense for them to step away from the work world. Immediately I have started thinking, “Is that an option for me? Could I really have only 12 years left if done right? Or, am I a 15-17 year person?”

There is, of course, a trade off with retirement. The obvious one is that you are trading age for income, unless you are extremely successful or independently wealthy. To retire earlier, you need money that will support your current lifestyle and last. To retire later, you have to age (get older) to a point where enjoying the retirement years could be jeopardized by the uncertainty of health. There is no perfect answer here.

I am just finding I want the life they are about to get. Envy. The life I would like to lead right now and enjoy seems so far off and I want to be young enough and healthy enough to really enjoy it!

I know I need to set up a meeting with a financial advisor and actually get a better, more complete picture of what needs to be done to make the picture in my head a reality. It is on the agenda for this month. The envy is causing me to get anxious to see what really needs to be done at this point.

Anyone with some experience have some helpful tips or tricks? Advice that would suddenly make the picture more clear and the path forward easier?

Rarity

Posted on February 12, 2021 by backuphill

I am staring at the screen and I am not sure what to write. This is a rarity. I always have something to say!

So, either I am having writer’s block, I have run out of things to Piss & Moan about, or I am dead.

Could there be another option? Probably not.

So, what’s up with this? It feels weird. I am not sure what it is or how to feel. It’s kind of like when you’re blindfolded and have to reach into something to identify and unknown, squishy and slimy substance. When you kind of know what it is, but you don’t really know what it is. That’s kinda how it feels.

I need topics! Give me topics! Drop some comments about stuff that bugs you and I will give you my take on it.

That should work.

Or flop. Probably flop.

You’ll never participate much.

That’s kinda like sitting in an empty room talking to myself. I’m talking about important stuff, but no one is listening.

OK, GO! Do it now! Really, I mean it. GO FOR IT!

Forced

Posted on December 3, 2020 by backuphill

I don’t like to be forced to do things. I don’t like being forced not to do things. I am complicated that way. Or maybe I am not really. I don’t know.

Lately, I find myself getting suggestions by someone that would essentially force me to interact with people I wouldn’t normally interact with, let alone go out my way to interact with them.

Just last night I mentioned that I was thinking about doing something and if I had to go alone that was ok, as it would just be a quick overnight trip later this month to see my grandparents and deliver/pickup gift exchange packages. Simple and quick.

I was met with, “That’s a good idea. If I can’t go, why don’t you see if ***** would like to go with you. It would be good for both of you and give you two a chance to hang out.”

What part of when I mentioned this idea did I indicate that I wanted to take extra people with me? When did I indicate that I wanted to have someone along that would neither want to go, nor would they appreciate the time? The suggestion was kind of pointless seeing as how the person being suggested hasn’t made any effort to see me (us) and almost never wanted to hang out with me (or contact me directly) in the past, let alone go see my grandparents with whom there has never been a relationship.

Rather strange and outta the blue suggestion.

Stop trying to force me to interact with people. I don’t like people in general, so I don’t want random suggestions of whom I should hang out with.

I tried

Posted on September 23, 2020 by backuphill

I tried. Yesterday. To write a blog post. It never happened. Didn’t get done.

Every time I started, I deleted what I had written.

Nope, can’t write that. Too mean.

Nope, can’t write that either. It will be misconstrued.

LOL. Seriously can’t write about that. People might take it seriously.

Then the day kind of got away as work was VERY busy. Well, is always busy, but more so than normal. A few times I got something started yesterday and then got buried and never got back to it. When I did I changed my mind about it.

That’s dumb. No one will read that.

Is that really the way I wanna address this topic?

Gosh, that’s a lame topic. A chimp could have tapped out this mess.

So, I bagged it. Ever have days like that? Got lots to say, but don’t know how to say it? Me too. Sometimes the ideas are plentiful and sometimes that leads to “writer’s block.” Other times, the ideas just don’t come together.

Got a topic you wanna know my thoughts on? I’ll open the floor up and take suggestions. Pop the ideas into the comment! Thanks!