Way back in 1974, right after I got out of the Army, I taught a few self-defense classes at a community college setting in Ohio. I don’t remember how much I earned for them, but it wasn’t much and I had completely forgotten about them until yesterday, when I received a notice from the School Employees Retirement System of Ohio that I have to either take the $58.10 in my retirement fund or roll it over into a new program. Geez, give up the "security" of my retirement fund or roll it over and let it grow. Decisions, decisions, what shall I do?
The impulsive part of me says draw that money out and blow it on a steak dinner, but that’s pretty irresponsible. I’ll turn 61 in October, so if I roll it over let it continue to earn interest, who knows how much I’ll have when I hit 65? Hell, it might even get up to $58.25 if the market rebounds. Retirement, here I come!
We slept in yesterday morning. In fact, we slept so soundly that yesterday morning was almost over by the time we woke up! Now, that may sound like we were being a couple of slugs, but keep in mind that I usually do most of my serious writing between 9 p.m. and 1 or 2 a.m. That’s just the schedule that works best for me.
After answering a dozen or so e-mails, I spent most of the day looking over the manuscript of my current project and tweaking it. Between getting the last issue of the Gypsy Journal printed and mailed, traveling to Gillette for the Escapees rally, and then out to Washington, it’s been a while since I worked much on it and I needed to get back into the flow of the story. Once I did it, felt good to be at the keyboard.
While I was doing that, Miss Terry was catching up on paperwork and filling some orders that came in with our mail yesterday. Later on she made a wonderful dinner of pan-fried cod, huge scampi style shrimp, peas, baked potatoes, and a caprese salad for her. It was all delicious, and by the time I cleaned my plate I was stuffed!
I didn’t plan it that way, but when I mentioned our tentative schedule on Facebook, somebody pointed out to me that we have reservations at the Long Beach, Washington Thousand Trails preserve the third week of August, which is during the World Kite Festival there. I wasn’t aware the event was scheduled then, but we’re sure looking forward to seeing it.
As it stands now, we’ll be here in Bremerton another week or maybe two, then we want to go to the Escapees Evergreen Co-op in Chimacum for a week or two if they have any room available. From there we’ll stop at the Oceana Leisure Time Resort near Ocean Shores before we go down to Long Beach. After that we have reservations at Thousand Trails campgrounds in Seaside and Newport, Oregon that will take us into early October.
Of course, we may decide to stir the Jello at any time and do something entirely different. Isn’t fulltiming a wonderful way to spend our lives?
Thought For The Day – Live your life and forget your age.
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Nick Russell
World-Famous, New York Times Best Selling Author, and All-Around Nice Guy!
If you decide to collect your new found riches hope you have better luck from Ohio than I did when I tried to collect my $110 in the Indiana State retirement fund from my 4 years as a substitute teacher. I had to fill out about 5 progressive forms, twice prove I was me and get a signature from the local school superintendent all based on a letter they sent to me! about 4 months later I got a check
Nick,
Does this quote mean you actually ate some veggies?
“and a caprese salad for her. It was all delicious, and by the time I cleaned my plate I was stuffed!”
Nick,
I guess you haven’t watched the market at all in those 40 years. IT HAS
already re-bounded!
Now take the $58.10 and put it on the pass line at a crap table. Enjoy retirement.
🙂