Seems like when you have more time on your hands (ie being retired) that, at least in my case, your routine goes by the wayside. In my working life it was a standard routine of get up with the alarm (early), shower, get breakfast for Rudy and the dog(s), walk the dog, tidy up and get on the road – sometimes these steps were inverted slightly, but in general that was the morning routine. During the day it was work. A fire here and there to put out. Bureaucratic items. And then the commute home. Usually 2 to 3 hours per day in the car. Finally home- walk the dog. A quick dinner prepared and then perhaps a bit of reading or tv or a fitness class depending on the night with some laundry in between.

Flash forward to now. All of the above goes out the window. Starting with no alarm. Getting up when your eyes open. And letting the day flow from there. But there comes the odd challenge with the new lifestyle. Here’s what I’m finding out about myself (some a renewed knowledge and others an epiphany).

1. I’m not a morning person. When I wake (regardless of time) I need quiet space to think about getting out of bed and what my day will look like. Don’t take it personal if I grunt or ignore you. I just don’t spring out of bed easily. If you check with my sister she will confirm that this is nothing new.

2. I’m addicted to coffee. If the new non-routine precludes a morning coffee there’s a pounding headache in my future. Usually starting around 2 pm I can feel a sinus-like pounding around the eyes and forehead. Mostly I figure out the issue and ingest caffeine. Sometimes I think I’m under hydrated and overdue water intake. The result is a severe headache with the urge to pee. And that undermines my sleep.

3. I can’t eat late at night. Late for me is after 7 pm. Unless it’s a salty snack to go with a glass (or two …) I can’t digest properly and that undermines my sleep. I would say the worst is meat protein but anything more than a few bites is deadly.

4. I shouldn’t leave the house without a full bathroom visit. Without going into huge details, I avoid toilets other than my own. Therefore if I don’t do my business in the morning and leave the house, the result is very disconcerting until I get back home. Many a great day could be squandered as I can only focus on getting back home to a familiar toilet.

5. I’m not patient. The list of things that tries my patience is quite long. Among the top are stupidity and indecision. And poor cell service.

6. Bathing is an elixir. If I need quiet space I hop in the bathtub. I’ve always enjoyed a bath but retirement changes your social habits and sometimes a quiet, relaxing bath is what you need for clarity and refreshment.

7. I really like Pickleball. Who knew that rusty tennis skills would prove useful.

Learning new things is only valuable if you can affect the changes required to enjoy the fruits of knowledge. Knowing things and wilfully challenging them produces results that are obvious. Some say this is the definition of insanity: repeating the same action and expecting new results.

Last night we ventured out on a pub crawl to find the best venues for the upcoming Super Bowl. Stay tuned for which venue makes the cut.