Still a blogger

I told two people these past weeks that I’m a blogger.  I didn’t mention the retired part.  I just said I’m a blogger because it fit the situation at the time.  Well, then I realized I’m only a blogger if I blog.  Not wanting to be a liar I decided I better blog about something. So here we go:

I’m still retired.

The end.

Just kidding.

Many people ask me if I’m still retired, and how I’m doing it. I’m not sure why people ask if I’m still retired, cause as far as I’m concerned that’s like a final decision.  I mean, I guess I could go back to work full time, and I would, if there was a dream job that weirdly came up and someone begged me to work my dream job, but I don’t think there is a dream job.  I think my dream job is to be retired.  So I’m already doing it. But let me tell you, it’s not easy being retired.  There’s exercising, there’s lunch dates, there’s hikes and then reading articles when you sit in your chair just lounging.  I read two the other day.  One of raising wolf pups and one about the new Prime Minister in Italy.  See?  I mean so much to learn on that internet.

I also have a hospice patient I visit once a week and after her I go to Trader Joes.  It’s like a whole thing. Once she passes I don’t know what I’ll do about that Trader Joes run.  We don’t have a lot of them in the Pittsburgh area so I take advantage of stopping there when I’m in the area.

There’s online classes or webinars that I jump on once in a while.  They can be a time suck as well. 

Let’s see what else, there’s mom on Tuesday.  Normally I would cook something for her on Mondays so that would mean a trip to the store to get what I needed and then cook all day so I can get it to her on Tuesdays but the last few visits I have had to work something else into the day so she’s been getting the equivalent of TV dinners.  She doesn’t seem to mind.  They make pretty good microwavable meal options now.  Or I’ll drive through Panera.  Mom is on Tuesday, except next Tuesday when I’m doing a cooking with the Steelers thing with Sally. So mom has to move to Wednesday. Next week I have a possible hike on Monday, Mom on Tuesday, my old neighbor’s yearly Witch party (Halloween) on Wednesday which is an all day event and then Thursday -Sunday a weekend trip to Florida.  See what I mean?  Who has time to work?

BUT, I am looking at working at Amazon, in the warehouse, part time, for the holidays and perhaps beyond depending on if I like it and/or can do it and my back holds out.  But get this, ok, so I signed up for a “flexible” shift – which means I work UP to 19 hours a week and I pick my own schedule.  Sounds good right?  I mean I just pick my own hours.  So I get hired, and I get notified that my start date is Oct 20 and my orientation is at 2:40 AM.  That’s right A.M. So, I call them, 4 times, but I insist that this must be some sort of error because there was an option to work that 2:40 a.m. shift but you had to CHOOSE it, which I did not CHOOSE it, so this a.m. must be a typo and it must mean p.m.  Now, this is going to sound very bigoted, but the first 3 people I talked to I could barely understand the Indian accent, which made it doubly irritating and I just assumed they didn’t know what a.m. meant and I just wanted to talk to someone at the location. It’s apparently impossible. Then I get a letter saying Joe Schmoe (not his real name) is my supervisor and if I have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.  But there is no contact info for Joe Schmoe.  I wait a day or two and I try calling the 800 employee customer care number again.  This time I got a very nice Indian man who spoke very good English and understood completely what I was saying about Orientation couldn’t possibly be at 2:40 a.m. to teach anything including machinery to a bunch of new people.  But I am wrong about that.  Wrong wrong wrong.  That is the time of the orientation.  Can you believe it?  I was very depressed about that because there is no way I’m going at 2:40 a.m. Just no way. I thought it might be “fun” to try something like this and it would keep me active and November is looking pretty open and then of course Christmas, so I really want to try it. THEN, this very nice man was feeling sorry for me and put me on hold and came back to tell me that there is an option to change my start date and shift. And if I do that it “should” change the orientation time. Should. There are 7 more options open now (there were none two days ago) – he told me to check back again after Monday and there may be more.  Right now I’m having a little trouble working around the Florida weekend and a start date, BUT,  I believe I’ll be able to get in there with a start date at the beginning of November sometime.  They have some easy part time shifts – working 25 hours a week, but believe it or not that takes me over what I’m allowed to make for Social Security.  Since I retired early, I can only make so much money before being penalized.  That’s why the flexible shift works better for me.  Less hours. Well that and I don’t want to work a lot, cause I’m retired! So that’s possibly coming up IF I can get a better orientation time.  I’ll have to keep rescheduling if they keep having orientation at 2:40 a.m.  I just can’t do it.  I won’t do it. But isn’t that crazy?  Crazy.

Working at Amazon would be in addition to working as an usher at the Steeler Games.  Have I mentioned I’m doing that?  It’s great fun.  Well, it was fun.  We’ll see how depressing it is the rest of the season while the Steelers rebuild.  Because I don’t think it’s going to be a winning season.  I think it’s going to be a rebuilding season.  I just love working the games.  It’s really fun/high energy just being there. The people can be a pain but not all of them.  I’m getting some nice regulars.  That’s a physical day too but mostly just on my feet and walking to and from the stadium.  One of my goals in retirement is to keep moving and as it so happens I’m moving more than ever. 

What else.

Today was Fall Family Fun day although without Jimmy and Emily because they now live in San Francisco.  I’m sure I’ve mentioned this. I think that was the last time I blogged.  Photos from SF. Well, anyway, Fall Family Fun Day 2022 was lovely.  Me, Zach and Rachel went to lunch at Fuel and Fuddle and then walked up to Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens.  Phipps was very crowded and we mentioned that it was times like this we missed Covid.  During Covid they had limited attendance and they had the rooms roped off so you could only walk through one way.  Why would they stop doing that?  Except they let so many people in now so it’s like a free for all and not really very pleasant at all.   Except that it IS pleasant cause I’m with my family and the flowers are nice.  Then after Phipps, a quick walk around Flagstaff Hill (by CMU) then back to the car then I went to their house to sit with my grandpup Daisy. Plus the weather was beautiful and I looked cute in my new hat. All in all a perfect day, other than the blisters I have on my feet, because I wore the wrong shoes for all that walking.  And I have to work at the Steeler game tomorrow.  I’m a little bit worried about that.

Ok, I believe I’ve accomplished my goal of being a blogger.  A lot to-do about nothing as is my genre, my niche.  It’s what I do. I’m a blogger.

xoxoxo

PS – My featured photo is from Phipps and the orange flowers are glass by Chihuly. Absolutely stunning.