RETIREMENT

 
  
 If  you are planning retirement,  
 let  me share retirement experiences with  you, 
 which  I hope will be helpful. 
                     
 

 Several  years ago my wife and I moved into a retirement

development on Florida 's Southeast coast -

The  Delray/Boca/Boynton Golf, Spa, Bath and Tennis  Club

on Lake Fake-A-Hatchee. There are 3000  lakes in Florida ;

only three are real.  

 
 Our  biggest retirement concern was time  management. 

What were we going to do all  day?  Let me assure you,

passing the time  is not a problem. Your days will be eaten

up by  simple, daily activities.  Just getting out  of your car

takes 15 minutes.  Trying to  find where you parked takes

20 minutes.  It  takes 1/2 hour on the check-out line in 

and  one hour to return the item the next  day.   

 
 Let me take you through a typical day. We get up at 5:00 AM,

have a quick breakfast and join the  early morning 'Walk and Talk Club.' 

There  are about 30 of us, and rain or shine we walk  around the streets,

all talking at once. Every  development has some late risers who stay

in bed  until 6 AM. After a nimble walk avoiding irate  drivers out to make

us road kill, we go back  home, shower and change for the next activity.  

 
 My  wife goes directly to the pool for her  underwater Pilate’s class,

followed by gasping  for breath and CPR.  I put on my,

'Ask me  about my Grandchildren' T-shirt, my plaid  mid-calf shorts,

my black socks and sandals and go to the clubhouse lobby for a nice nap.  

 
 Before  you know it, it's time for lunch.  We go to  

to  partake of the many tasty samples dispensed by  

ladies in white hairnets.  All free!   After a filling lunch,

if we don't have any  doctor appointments, we might go

to the flea  market to see if any new white belts have come  

in or to buy a Rolex watch for $2.00.  
 
 We're  usually back home by 2 PM to get ready for  dinner. 

People start lining up for the  early bird about 3 PM, but we

get there by 3:45  PM, because we're late eaters. 

The  dinners are very popular because of the large  

portions they serve.  You can take home  enough food for

the next day's lunch and dinner,  including extra bread,

crackers, packets of  mustard, relish, ketchup and

Sweet-and-Low along  with mints.. 

  
  At  5:30 PM we're home ready to watch the 6  o'clock news. 

By 6:30 PM we're fast  asleep.  Then we get up and make

5 or 6  trips to the bathroom during the night, and it's  

time to get up and start a new day all over  again. 
 

 Doctor  related activities eat up most of your  retirement time. 

I enjoy reading old  magazines in sub-zero temperatures in the  

waiting room, so I don't mind.  Calling for  test results also helps

the days fly by.   It takes at least half an hour just getting  through

the doctor's phone menu.  Then  there's the hold time until you're

connected to  the right party.  Sometimes they forget  you're holding,

and the whole office goes off to  lunch. 
 

 Should  you find you still have time on your hands,  

volunteering provides a rewarding opportunity to  

help the less fortunate.  Florida has the  largest

concentration of seniors under five feet  tall and

they need our help. I myself am a  volunteer for

'The Vertically Challenged Over  80.' 

I coach their basketball team,

The  Arthritic Avengers.  

The  hoop is only 4 1/2 feet from the  floor.  
 You  should see the look of confidence on

their faces  when they make a slam dunk.  

 
 Food  shopping is a problem for short seniors or  'bottom feeders'

as we call them, because they  can't reach the items on the upper

shelves.  There are many foods they've never tasted.   After shopping,

most seniors can't remember  where they parked their cars and

wander the  parking lot for hours while their food defrosts.  

  
 Lastly,  it's important to choose a development with an  impressive name.

Italian names are very popular  in Florida .  They convey world traveler,  

uppity sophistication and wealth.  Where  would you rather live?  

Murray 's  Condos or the Lakes Of Venice ?  There's no  difference. 

They're both owned by Murray,  who happens to be a cheapskate.  
 

 I  hope this material has been of help to you  future retirees. 

If I can be of any  further assistance, please look me up when  

you're in Florida . 

I live in