I have been there and have ignored the obvious. I’m not saying that I have buried my head in the sand, but the idea is very familiar. I can remember thinking to myself, “If I check my balance, I will spiral out of control.” Or worse, I remember thinking not knowing made me feel better than knowing.” But next week, the problems were still there. And because I ignored … [Read more...] about Ten Minutes With My Money Is Better Than Seven Days of Avoiding It
Facts and myths about mental illness
10 Simple Rules That Quietly Make Your Life Easier (Most People Ignore #7)
On a whim, I am checking out CLAUDE. This AI tool is supposed to make curating easy. When I asked it to create a list of 10 practical tips, it came up with the list below. It turns out I am already using many of the ideas in the kit. Some of these tips I did not recognize as things I regularly do. I have been using #2 for years, but never knew it was a thing. Attached … [Read more...] about 10 Simple Rules That Quietly Make Your Life Easier (Most People Ignore #7)
Checking In This Holiday Season: Retirement, Family Memories, and What’s Next
30 Days in Retirement; wow, the month went by so fast. It has already been 30 days since I retired. And we are celebrating a New Year, 2026. My original plan was to retire very early in 2025. I realize now that I kept pushing back the actual date because I really enjoy what I am doing. It turns out I really enjoy solving problems within company policy. And I love the … [Read more...] about Checking In This Holiday Season: Retirement, Family Memories, and What’s Next
Retirement Day 5 – If You’ve Ever Rushed Through Life and Are Finally Slowing Down, This Story Is for You
I never expected to be wide awake by 2:00 AM on Day 4 of being retired. Nor did I expect finally slowing down to be a thing. Yet, there I was, staring at the ceiling while the entire world slumbered. It wasn’t until I made my way to the window that I saw something I hadn’t expected: snow in the mountains of Virginia. These quiet, early-morning snows seem to bring a … [Read more...] about Retirement Day 5 – If You’ve Ever Rushed Through Life and Are Finally Slowing Down, This Story Is for You
Retirement: What Day Three Really Looks Like (Hint: Not What I Planned)
Somehow, Day Three doesn’t seem as calm and quiet as I expected. But as I sit with it now, I can see that today was calmer—definitely calmer than Day Two. I didn’t feel the need to write a 17-item to-do list, and I didn’t wake up with that sense of urgency that I used to carry like a backpack full of rocks. I actually had less on my plate today, and that alone felt like a … [Read more...] about Retirement: What Day Three Really Looks Like (Hint: Not What I Planned)
