2013 Went Out With A Bang

Not a big one for staying up and celebrating the New Year I was in bed pretty much sound asleep when all hell broke loose in the neighborhood and I woke up thinking I was in a war zone.  Surprisingly Honey was not the least bit disturbed by the noise or the fact that the condo shook.  Someone let off something really big last night.  From the headlines this morning it appears to have been a fairly uneventful welcome to 2014.

For me, early 2014 is preparation for a life style change, a voyage if you will, into the later years of our life together.  I have been off work since the Friday after Christmas and I am already thinking of continuing to work.  Mia and I have been together for over 40 years and during that time we have spent very little time actually together.  She has her interests, I have work and we just didn't see each other in our later working careers as we did when I was working a 40 hour week and wasn't in management.  Then there was the substance abuse and my family, kids and Mia, will tell you I wasn't around much then.  When I quit I dove into my work and haven't looked up since that year.  What I fear is my being around so much after I finally retire will cause issues for our relationship.  After the past week, I seriously wonder if I shouldn't continue to work.  I know a place that has an opening for a back counter parts guy.

We have been planning the financial side of things and see that we will be living below our current living standard.  Hopefully we will have enough money to enjoy all the things we want to do.  If not, I do have some other options to bring in some monies but certainly not the money we have been accustom to.  Plus, everything I read says you need to stay busy after you officially retire.  I have projects but I doubt they will last long.  I would like to read more volumes on history.  I have woodworking tools that I haven't touched in years.

I guess the really big question is once I wean myself off the mood altering drugs will I gain the energy and motivation to actually get up and do something or will I remain as I have these past few days, a couch potato with no drive or ambition to do anything.

The next 3 1/2 months should me interesting.