I am tuned in!

First thoughts on retirement:

• Wow, there’s so much to do!
• No alarm clock (except when catching a flight) and always enough sleep;
• House projects in due time (new ones will take the place of those completed)[supervised the installation of the new dishwasher already];
• Exercise and weight training program seriously back on track.
• Cultural life in full swing  and even a couple of hours at The Art Institute;
• Plenty of time to cook (pork tenderloin, chicken poblano, NY strip steaks, Polish sausage, Italian sausage, The Slap Chop keeps chopped garlic readily available, but most of all can’t wait for Weber charcoal grilling season to begin); plenty of time to make a pilgrimage to Lindy’s chili parlor on Archer Avenue & Western on South Side with neighbor – try the 55 gal size for $2300.
• Bowling 6 to 8 games a week (still need to practice!) – my two bowling balls have names (Crash and Hammer);
• Serious reading.
• Movies galore (Netflix via mail and streaming with the Apple TV) and looking forward to the Academy Awards celebration;
• Looking forward to CA trip to visit the guys in March;
• And last but not least, looking forward to organizing the house.

Anyway, I’ll give myself a little time before I begin part-time consulting with a local engineering firm, and before I seriously start my documentary activities. The important decision will be where I decide to volunteer .

I am one lucky guy!

(My plan is not to make this blog like a Christmas Letter – but rather to share my thoughts on what retirement is like for me and what observations in my daily life help me better understand what this life is all about.)